Wuhan confinement film debut in China 6 years after shooting

Um film on the confinement of Wuhan, Chinese city where the first cases of covid-19 were detected, will premiere on November 6, almost six years after the shooting, triggering reactions divided into Chinese social networks.

Called “Heroes in White” (“Baiyi Nixingzhe”, literally “those who advance in the opposite direction dressed in white”, in a reference to health professionals who fought the pandemic), the feature film is starring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau and Chinese actress Yang Zishan.

The realization is carried out by filmmaker Herman Yau, also from Hong Kong, according to information released by the local press.

The film recreates Wuhan's 76-day confinement between January and April 2020 through the experiences of health professionals, patients and residents who faced the consequences of the new coronavirus.

The ‘trailer’, released along with the announcement of the premiere, under the title “76 Days and Nights”, shows overcrowded hospitals, circulation restrictions, shortage of supplies and families separated by isolation measures.

The story follows, among other characters, a couple played by Lau and Yang, who goes to Wuhan to collaborate with health professionals during the sanitary emergency.

The shoot ended in December 2020, a few months after the confinement was lifted, but the film will not reach the cinemas until almost six years later, without the reasons for the delay being disclosed.

The announcement of the premiere provoked divergent reactions on Chinese social networks, where some netizens expressed reluctance to relive the difficulties of that period, according to the Hong Kong newspaper The Standard.

“I can’t see it,” wrote one of the users quoted by the newspaper, while others questioned the decision to now debut a production about an experience that continues to arouse painful memories.

On the other hand, other comments from the Chinese media highlighted the time since 2020 and the importance of reminding people who faced the health emergency.

The premiere is joined by other Chinese audiovisual productions that approached the pandemic from different perspectives, including “An Unfinished Film”, by director Lou Ye, who won in 2024 the awards for best film and best performance at the Golden Horse in Taiwan.

The feature film follows a film crew surprised by the confinement near Wuhan.

Production was distinguished at a ceremony where the Chinese film industry has been officially prevented from participating since 2019, although the country's directors continue to present their works.

Wuhan remained confined for 76 days at the beginning of 2020 in one of the first and most stringent isolation measures adopted during the pandemic.

The confinement preceded the implementation of a “covid zero” policy, based on restrictions on movement, border controls and mass testing, which China maintained until the end of 2022.