Filmabend: Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,Chinesische Filmreihe – Glanzlichter aus Wuxi

In the organizer's words:

Time: Thursday, August 7, 2025, 6:00 pm
Director: Wuershan
With: Fei Xiang, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo
Length: 148 minutes
Language: Chinese with English subtitles

This opulent fantasy-history film is based on the classic Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods), which tells of the mythical turning point between the Shang and Zhou dynasties. At the center of the film is Prince Yin Shou, who accidentally frees an ancient fox spirit during a military campaign, which takes possession of the beautiful daughter of an adversary. Blinded by ambition, Yin Shou brings her to the royal court, where she seduces the ruling elite as a demon in the form of the beautiful Daji and plunges them into ruin. While the kingdom descends into chaos, the sage Jiang Ziya sets out in search of a new just ruler with a divine list, the so-called "Fengshen-Bang". At the same time, other figures who had initially believed in Yin Shou also begin to recognize his dark side: Prince Yin Jiao, his own son, and Ji Fa, the young vassal of the western principality, discover the ruler's increasing cruelty and Daji's demonic nature. The dark clouds of an all-altering war gather over the capital Chaoge. The film offers monumental battles, complex political intrigues and deep moral questions about power, sacrifice and providence. It combines traditional Chinese mythology with modern cinematic means and won several awards at the 36th Chinese Film Awards "Golden Rooster Award", including Best Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography.