Home Coming, a hit action-thriller in China, premieres in Los Angeles

A top Chinese box office film during China's National Holiday has opened to viewers in North America for the first time.

The Los Angeles premiere of the patriotic action-thriller Home Coming drew close to 200 attendees at The Landmark Westwood theater on Sunday night. Many of those in the audience were members of the Chinese diaspora, including Chinese students, diplomats and employees at Chinese-funded enterprises in the area.

Zhang Ping, China's consul general in Los Angeles, said the film did a great job of conveying the core mission of the Chinese Communist Party "to serve its people wholeheartedly" and the commitment of Chinese diplomats in practicing "diplomacy for the people".

He said many scenes in the movie were familiar to those who work in the diplomatic field. They assume the responsibility to protect the lives and properties of Chinese citizens, especially when unexpected emergencies occur.

"I think this is the responsibility that all those who work in the embassies and consulates, from the top leadership to all the staff, have to bear without hesitation," Zhang said.

Home Coming tells the story of two unarmed Chinese diplomats who return to the war-torn Republic of Numea to bring 125 Chinese citizens safely back to China. It was inspired by the Chinese embassy's evacuation of more than 30,000 Chinese nationals from Libya in 2011 as a bloody unrest unfolded in the country.

The film premiered in China on Sept 30. It was directed by Rao Xiaozhi and starred actors Zhang Yi, Wang Junkai and Yin Tao.

It was the top grossing film in the Chinese market during the National Holiday, which started on Oct 1. By Oct 6, the film had garnered around $140.5 million, accounting for close to 70 percent of the overall ticket sales during the weeklong festival, according to the live tracking platform Beacon.

Yu Xianqiang, a postdoctoral student studying at the University of California in Los Angeles and who attended the premiere, said the movie fully reflects the works of Chinese diplomats and the spirit of "diplomacy for the people".

"As a Chinese citizen and overseas student, I am also very honored. At the same time, I am touched by the professional performances and skills of the Chinese actors. I look forward to peace and friendship between China and the US and world peace," he said.

Another attendee, He Jianzhong, an employee of a Chinese-funded enterprise in Los Angeles, said the film resonates with him deeply on a personal level. Since he has worked overseas for a long time, he could relate to the care and protection that the consulate has provided for Chinese citizens abroad, he said.

In the film, China's ambassador in Numea said: "Behind us is the motherland, and around us are embassies and consulates. It is precisely due to the efforts of generation after generation of diplomats, who even use their lives to protect the safety and properties of Chinese citizens overseas that we can have the confidence to tell everyone around the world that we are Chinese."