Chinese martial arts film "Shadow" screened in Pakistani capital

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese film "Shadow" was screened for the public on Thursday evening in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad amid strict measures against COVID-19.

Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan jointly hosted the film screening at a cinema in downtown Islamabad, which was attended by dozens of people from different walks of life.

Pakistani Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib inaugurated the event, saying he hopes that such exchanges would help the peoples of the two countries understand each other's cultures.

Assistant Director at the External Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Sana Saif told Xinhua that the film is being screened as a goodwill gesture on the occasion of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China.

The film "Shadow," directed by Zhang Yimou, is a martial arts film set in China during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280) that tells the story of a "shadow" man -- a body double for royals and aristocrats. The film made its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in 2018.

In 2020, a Pakistani military action-romance film "Parwaaz Hai Junoon" (Soaring Is Passion) hit Chinese cinemas, getting attention and praise from many Chinese viewers.