The first joint China-Africa feature film Ebola was launched in Beijing on August 29 following the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2018 Beijing Summit.

Over 200 people attended the launch, including representatives from the government, film industry and members of the Chinese anti-Ebola medical team in Africa.

The film will be jointly produced by China’s Shinework Pictures and Perception Management Ghana. According to Iris Wang, General Manager of Shinework Pictures and the film’s executive producer, the script will be completed this year, and location shooting in Africa will be completed in 2019. Its premiere will be held in 2020 on the 20thanniversary of FOCAC.

Jonathan Jian Shen, Chairman and CEO of Shinework Pictures, said that the project team consisting of Chinese and Ghanaian filmmakers spent over a year interviewing dozens of Chinese medical team members that assisted Africa and African people who were infected by Ebola and cured by the Chinese medical staff. 

“Deeply touched and motivated by the real stories, we and our Ghanaian partners are determined to make and present a great film to Chinese and African movie goers,” said Shen.

An emotional Shen said that this year is the 55th year since China sent the first medical team to Africa; and there have been a lot of heroic and moving deeds. One example is the Chinese anti-Ebola medical team, a team made of great, selfless and courageous men and women, many of whom said goodbye to their parents and left messages with their small children. In the remote African epidemic areas, crude operating rooms and critically infected patients were in strong contrast with the grit and skills of the Chinese “soldiers in white.” With compassion, resilience and the spirit of healing others, members of the Chinese medical team and the African people created a grand chapter of a community of shared future for China and Africa.

Ghanian producer Albert Mensah, CEO of Perception International Ghana, said Ghana was home to the United Nations and World Health Organization emergency response headquarters against Ebola. The Ghanaian film industry witnessed how Chinese medical teams provided humanitarian relief to Ghana’s neighboring countries Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, which were severely hit by the virus. Cooperation with Shinework Pictures represents a great start for film-coproductions between Ghana and China as well as Africa and China," which will contribute to stronger Africa-China relationship and a better world for both of our peoples."