After nine years of preparations, the shooting of a historical, biographical film featuring the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping between 1976 and 1992 began recently in Beijing.

The movie vividly depicts the outstanding leadership of patriotic Deng, who is widely hailed as "the chief architect of China's cause of reform and opening-up and the building-up of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

The film is being jointly planned by the Party Literature Research Centre of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC), State General Administration of Radio, Film and Television (ARFT), publicity department of the CPC's Guangdong provincial committee, Shenzhen municipal government and Zhujiang Film Studio.

Ding Yinnan, a veteran film director who has achieved great success with other historical, biographical films such as "Zhou Enlai" and "Sun Yat-sen,"directs this movie with a selected production crew that includes famous actor Lu Qi, director of cinematographer Shen Xinghao, and artistic director, Na Shufeng.

The shooting of the film is expected to be completed by February 2002 and its production is expected to be completed by May, according to Ding.

(China Daily December 13, 2001 )