THE BATTLE AT LAKE CHANGJIN

This three-hour long epic, bathed in jingoism, is currently the highest grossing Chinese release of all time. Chen Kaige of Farewell My Concubine fame is one of the joint directors of this action-packed tale of a team of Chinese soldiers during the Korean War, fighting in a key battle against US troops in minus-30 degrees Celsius weather near the Chosin Reservoir (also known as Lake Changjin), North Korea. The emphasis on heroic sacrifice and bravery has proved enough to pluck at the audience's heartstrings.