This award-winning film recounts the 1937 Nanking Massacre committed by the Japanese army in the former capital city of China. In the winter of 1937, the Japanese army occupied Nanking, where they killed more 200,000 people and raped tens of thousands of Chinese women. In order to protect Chinese civilians, a small group of European and American expatriates—including Western missionaries, professors, and businessmen—banded together, risking their own lives to form the Nanking Safety Zone and ultimately saving 250,000 Chinese individuals.

The film captures the events through readings from letters and diaries of witnesses including John Rabe, a German businessman; Robert O. Wilson, the only surgeon remaining to care for legions of victims; and Minnie Vautrin, an educator who passionately defended Nanking's women during the war. Contemporary actors Jurgen Prochnow, Mariel Hemingway, Woody Harrelson, and others read their words. Nanking also incorporates the survivors’ personal accounts, archival footage, and the testimonies of Japanese soldiers who participated in the rampage.

“A beautifully crafted film... Honors the highest calling of documentary film making."
‒ Reuters

Peabody Award, 2008
Best Documentary Editing, Sundance Film Festival, 2007
Shortlisted, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2007