China, Ghana to Co-produce Feature Film "Ebola"

Filmmakers from China and Ghana gathered in Beijing on Wednesday, Aug 29, 2018 to celebrate the launch of their co-production called "Ebola." [Photo: China Plus]

China and Ghana will co-produce a feature film called "Ebola," based on the real stories of the Chinese medical team that assisted in the fight against Ebola in 2014 in remote African epidemic areas.

Ghana Ambassador to China Edward Boateng attended an event that celebrated the launch of the joint project in Beijing on Wednesday.

"Ghana is a logistic hub. We opened ourselves because that is where a lot of the resources were coming through. So it's a very good step, because very few Chinese stories are told in Africa, and very few African stories are told in China. So I think this is a good first effort and I hope beyond Ebola, there are a lot of other stories to that we can tell."

Shen Jian, Chairman and CEO of Chinese Shinework Pictures, is the film producer. He explained how he'd determined to initiate this co-production.

"At that time, not only were the Chinese people but the whole world paying close attention to Ebola outbreak in Africa. Epidemic could easily spread elsewhere further. However, the Chinese medical team lost no time arriving in Africa and giving locals in-time medical treatment. I feel so touched and motivated by their deeds."

Shen also disclosed that the Chinese and Ghanaian filmmakers are now discussing the film script. Earlier, they spent over a year interviewing dozens of Chinese medical team members that assisted Africa as well as the infected Africans who were cured by the Chinese medical staff.

The shooting of the film "Ebola" will kick off next year in Africa. It is planed that the film will meet audiences in 2020 as a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.