Choosing his battles

Soldiers Sortie, produced by Wu Yi, is acclaimed as one of the most-celebrated military dramas on the Chinese mainland.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"If an ordinary Chinese person could kill 20 or 30 invaders alone－as is shown on TV series－why'd our war last so long?" he asks.

"It's the wrong direction. It's disgraceful when our forebearers' sacrifice is treated like a shoot-'em-up computer game."

Wu grew up in a family working for military enterprises and served two years in the PLA.

This background has contributed to his insistence on the accuracy of details when depicting military affairs.

He believes China should observe some universal principles for great wartime TV and movies followed by the rest of the world.

"We must create vivid characters full of humanity and explore their inner worlds if we want to tell stories overseas audiences can understand," he says.

This outlook can be seen in another of Wu's acclaimed productions, the 43-episode My Chief and My Regiment (2009). The series tells the story of a scattered troop of Chinese expeditionary soldiers, who are reunited and defend the front line against Japanese invaders modern-day in Myanmar in 1942.

"These soldiers don't want to fight but are eager to win because they can then go home," Wu says.

"That spirit is shared all over the world."

Soldiers Sortie is actually a mainstream production showing the modern development of China's defense capacity, he says.

"However, when a grand theme is conveyed from a regular person's perspective, it's approachable to audiences, who often share a stereotyped view that mainstream films and TV series are propaganda."

Wu is exploring new topics, although he believes it's impossible to found a new genre on Chinese TV.