Leading mainland director Feng Xiaogang is making a film on the Tangshan earthquake, which killed more than 240,000 people in 1976.

"Great Tangshan Earthquake" follows the fortunes of several families since the disaster.

Feng, 51, rates the film the most difficult project in his 15-year directing career. He says the task of re-creating the earthquake, and moving both the Tangshan and national audience put him under great pressure.

Now he is calling on people to donate or lend him any items they still have from the period to help give his movie a more authentic touch.

Feng stresses he isn't making the film in the wake of last year's May 12 Sichuan earthquake and first hit upon the idea of this film two years ago.

The local government in the city of Tangshan, together with China Film Group Corporation and Huayi Brothers, are investing about 150 million yuan ($22 million) in the film.

Shooting will start in July and the film is due in theaters next summer.

(China Daily February 27, 2009)