A Chinese girl walks past a skull said to be that of a villager killed by Japanese troops in the Second World War during a visit to a WWII museum on Sept. 1, 2015 in Beijing, China. (Photo : Getty Images)
Australians may now be able to get a glimpse of the horrors experienced by the Chinese during World War II when a joint China-Australia documentary airs later this year.
"The War that Changed the World: The Making of a New China," a co-production between China Central Television's (CCTV) Science and Education Channel and Australia's WildBear Entertainment, will be broadcast in China in July and Australia in September, the state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.
The two-part documentary, which uses footage stored in Chinese archives not previously seen outside China, details the conflict between China and Japan during the early phase of the war in the 1930s and 1940s.
The series carefully explains how Japanese invasion of China, which began in 1931, is essentially the start of the Second World War in the East, CCTV News Center Deputy Director Peng Jianming told Xinhua during a premiere screening in Sydney on Friday.
"Unfortunately not many people fully understand the full story of history," he said. "The resistance from China (against Japanese aggression) is like a missing jigsaw in the World War II story."
"We have the responsibility to complete this missing piece in the jigsaw," Peng added.
Michael Tear, WildBear's chief executive, attributed the project's success to "collaborative approach" between the two production companies.
WildBear signed a co-production agreement for a documentary television series with CCTV in 2012. Its first collaboration, "The Story of Australia," was released in October that year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Australia.
Dr. Ruth Harley, CEO of Screen Australia, said the country is committed to building its relationship with its counterparts in China's broadcast and film industry.
"I know that our connection will continue to facilitate future co-productions," Dr. Harley said.
The documentary is scheduled to air in Australian cable TV via History Channel and on CCTV10 in China.
