Zhang Jingch and Lu Yi [m1905.com]

Here is the first behind the scenes look at Feng Xiaogang's quake-themed film 'Aftershock' which recently started shooting in Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Young actors Lu Yi and Zhang Jingchu's first appearance on the set as two innocent looking college students is reminiscent of their signature roles which set them on the road to stardom.

The story takes place in the 1970s and original articles from the university's old days appear on screen. Military-style school bags, which were popular in that period, also make a comeback.

Zhang Jingchu, sporting such a bag and wearing her hair in plaited braids on either side, also a trendy style at that time, meets Lu Yi, who later becomes her husband, for the first time.

Zhang Jingch [m1905.com]

The film is an adaptation of Chinese-Canadian writer Ling Zhang's novel "Aftershock", which depicts how the Tangshan earthquake changes the life of a seven-year-old girl.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Tangshan in Hebei Province on July 28, 1976.

"Aftershock", formerly known as "Tangshan Earthquake", will be filmed in the IMAX format, and is slated for a public screening on July 28th, 2010.

It was a big surprise that Hangzhou was chosen as the first site for the film to be shot. But the veteran director had a good reason. According to media reports, the city of Hangzhou has invested heavily in the film thus Director Feng moved the location where the screen couple meet and fall in love from Shanghai, as is written in the novel, to Hangzhou.

(CRI July 9, 2009)