China's first 8K space film ‌SHENZHOU 13 premieres in Shanghai

SHENZHOU 13, China's inaugural 8K space film produced by China Media Group, premiered at the media group's Convergent Media Cinema in Shanghai on Sept 5. The 90-minute film was simultaneously released nationwide.

The film is based on the Shenzhou-13 crew's six-month in-orbit mission and features footage captured by astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu aboard the China space station.

It showcases an extraordinary journey filled with Chinese-style space aesthetics, revealing never-before-seen space scenes and little-known details of astronauts' lives in space.

Narrated from Wang Yaping's perspective, the film offers a unique blend of delicate emotions, visual impact, and cosmic philosophy.

As China's first film shot in space, it employs domestically developed 8K ultra-high-definition cameras.

The media group's team collaborated closely with aerospace experts to overcome challenges such as rocket vibration tests, space environment tests, and adaptive charging-storage on the space station, integrating space research, film creation, and Earth-space coordination.

Director Zhu Yiran highlighted that filming in real space brings an unparalleled artistic appeal, as Earth's authentic texture cannot be replicated digitally.

"The successful production relies on China's remarkable manned spaceflight achievements, representing a vivid practice of integrating ideology, art, and technology," he said, adding that he aims to continue telling Chinese stories through film to enhance China's film industry.

Liu Xuechao, chief designer of the China space station's high-temperature material science experiment system, shared that the station is equipped with 14 advanced international experimental devices, including the container-less scientific experiment cabinet and high-temperature material science experiment cabinet developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Astronauts have melted tungsten alloy at over 3,100 degrees Celsius — a world record — using these devices," he noted, emphasizing that such "space tools" could enable the production of high-tech materials previously seen only in sci-fi films, unattainable on Earth.

Co-hosted by the media group's Film, Drama and Documentary Programming Center and CMG Shanghai, the premiere featured a surprise video message from the Shenzhou-20 crew on the China space station.

They extended their good wishes, stating that the film truthfully depicts astronauts' in-orbit work-life, records precious moments of the station's construction, and captures the unique romance of Chinese aerospace professionals filming in space.