O. A.

Fischer Synopsis


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Synopsis







Movie Content:

1. Beginning
It is the year 2014, a French historian works on a thesis about the WWI 100 years ago; he is
inside the dusty and dark archives of the French Military going through hundreds of files with
names and pictures on it. One picture of a Chinese in French officers uniform falls on the
floor Camera zooms in Scene change We are in Old Shanghai 1915; a young Chinese
coolie is running through the streets followed by two police officers. He escapes brilliantly,
showing his witty mind. But to be safe, he enrolls at the French bureau for enlisting coolies for
France, which is entering the WWI
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. Thats the start of the Chinese Odyssey. The quest for
survival, for love and then for honor! He doesnt even know what he is getting into it Poor lad!

2. Voyage
Cramped on a French steamer the coolies, dirty and filthy as they were are shipped to France, to
Marseille. The voyage is smooth, our hero helps his comrades. The French officers look down on
the Chinese and play tricks on them, but then after being taught a funny lesson by our hero, they
admire the Chinese and respect them. They found out the deepness of a 5000 years old culture.
Together, Chinese and French saved then the ship from an Austrian torpedo attack in the
Mediterranean Sea. First adventure Lifes not so safe after all in Europe either On a sunny
day then they all landed save and sound in Marseille / France. The real adventure is about to start!

3. Getting settled
French bureaucracy is at work. The coolies get organized in groups and send away to their
destinations. There are many ships and more coolies from Shandong, Hebei, and Jiangsu and
from other places of Great China.

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In 1915 1916 they recruited 40.000 Chinese. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_diaspora_in_France.
10.000 died during the war. See also: http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1565.
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Also there are Chinese women, several stunning beauties. Our coolie is lingeringly looking at his
favorite and dreams Wont be the last time he sees her. He throws a flower to her, which he
found in a small French garden on his way from the ship. But then off they go in different
directions. After some training and instructions in a barrack camp the group gets their first taste
of France. Even though they were not allowed to freely get out, our hero with some friends
sneak out and discover the villages nearby and the big city of France. Here he gets a glance of
his favorite girl again Is it fate? But, is this a French officer next to her? Together or not?
OMG Happy and Depressed they sneak back. Next day theyre off to the vicinity of the front.

4. Routine
The front after one year, dangerous, but the coolies dont need to fight. But some of his friends
already died, some by clearing mines. Once in a while they also get shelled and sometimes old
WWI airplanes drop randomly bombs But usually routine and rice everyday They survive till
1916 Then one day, the officer with the stunning Chinese beauty appears. They spot each
other and throw longing glances at each other, being both not content with their solitude. Later
they meet and talk, whenever there is a chance. In the
meanwhile, war goes on. The officer is leading his men, but
German forces at the Somme are too strong. The French
forces are weak, even with their allies But courageously
they fight on and die. The Chinese clean up. Some coolies
mates of our hero dream of opening up a Chinese
restaurant after the WWI One of them nearly got blown
away, lost one eye. Lifes dangerous And theres always
the sound of war

5. Turning Point
All was well, surviving they did. Dangerous but acceptable. Can it stay like that? No! Then came
that day, a nice sunny day The German Forces attack in full force They overrun everything
and push the front far west, they also capture a huge French and English contingent, and
together with the French officer also the Chinese beauty. As it was customary at that time, the
officers got preferential prisoners treatment and were thus well treated. Particularly one big
German officer fancied the Chinese Beauty. He treats her especially cordial. On the other side of
the front the Chinese were hiding during the storming of the Germans and partially saved
themselves. From a secure spot they observed everything. Our hero was desperate seeing his
beloved Chinese Girl being taken away But after the attack all was in confusion, the forces
which were not captured retreated and reorganized themselves. So many dead lying around
Some still were moaning. They try to help, but alas, war is pitiless!

After the regrouping our hero is getting nearly crazy by knowing his beloved angel was taken
prisoner. He knows she will never belong to him, his friends often teased him, but the passion
the fervor, the longing All too strong. How to rescue her? The French officers seemed all at
loss. Bureaucracy was central; all must be done second the rules. And time passes A new
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routine kicks in, but there is still our hero and his wish to rescue his maiden locked in the tower.
On the other side of the front, in a beautiful French Chateau confiscated by the Germans lifes
seemed to be good. Champagne and opulent dinners every day. The big German officer who
chose to save and care for the Chinese beauty is constantly flirting and cossetting her. She is the
favorite of all the staff and even of the nearby French officers prison. She takes also care of
them through favors from her now new lover, the German officer. A kind of mutual respect and
love is in the air between them. Lifes seems finally nice. She even sings and introduces Chinese
culture to the German Officers and once in a while comforts and sings for the French officers
too. Maybe she was a high courtesan fallen in disgrace from the court 6 years ago? Maybe a
Singsong girl from Shanghai? Nonetheless, she became the sunshine of the place. Everyone was
happy, she was the grand prize of the attack, and war seemed so far away. Winter came, all
rested Time flies The German officer is in love! The French is jealous but content that at
least she gets treated well.

But then again, on the other side of the front our Chinese hero is getting desperate, but winter is
tough and the French abide their time for the counter attack. Our hero is imagining bad things,
he imagines how Chinese treat their prisoners usually (= killing, raping, enslaving, slaughtering)
and doesnt even imagine how good she actually lives. The French only know where the prisoners
are kept and heard about a Chinese lady entertaining the enemy. The best time of her hard life as
a girl born in China. At least our hero knows where she is and that she is fine.

Mid-Spring, the weather is gorgeous, flowers everywhere. Life could be sooo good to all. But the
French are now on the move. Cannons are getting positioned and new airplane bombers too. Our
Hero is worried that they will not only shell the Germans but also his lady. He must rescue her!
Bring her back to the French front lines How? He and his friends were gathering French
uniforms since a while, complete with guns and gears. They know when the French plan to attack,
and know about the brutality of the planned shelling. All this is getting everyone worried. Will
the prisoners (incl. Chinese) and the Chinese Lady survive that? Bombs kill indiscriminately, that
what makes them the most evil of all weapons, disgraceful for humans! They must take action!

One clear night before the attack they slip out. Some French guards and some friends of our
French officers heard about their plan and want to join the Chinese. Dressed in military uniform
they start crawling through the trenches, some tricky passages, some machine guns firing
randomly But in the end, the Chateau. There it is After some observation they sneak in.
Without killing (or for the Chinese movie producer WITH a lot of killing and Kungfu
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) the
French and the Chinese succeed in rescuing the Beauty, the French officer and their Chinese
mates together with a lot of French army comrades. Their fleeing is not unnoticed and in a rain
of bullets they finally reach the French side at dawn. The Chinese Beauty was reluctant to leave,
she was in paradise. But on the hearing of the shelling, she slipped a message to her German
lover, who brought his army corps in a safe haven and saw from there the destruction of the nice,
but now empty Chateau. Sad he left and they moved the front towards the east, without many
losses. Status Quo again Routine sets again in. In the meanwhile the French saw their
comrades return and were overjoyed, also the Chinese seeing their friends again after so long.

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Imagine a Chinese defeating a German at that time, even with Kungfu Impossible Hahaha. But I guess this
is the selling point of the movie for the greater China viewers. But could be also a non-violent movie
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But when the French Headquarter heard about that, they were not amused. To illegally wear a
uniform was punishable by firing squad. But the French officer was on their side and stand for
the Chinese. After some debating and in order to solve this controversy, the Chinese who were
condemned to death were at the end then regularly enlisted as French soldiers and our hero
became a low officer, the first and only Chinese officer in the French army.

The French officer, by seeing his beauty with the German and thus driven by jealousy rejected
her in the end and gave her as present to our Chinese hero (like an item you can pass). The
Chinese beauty lost her paradise, lost her German and French and now stuck with him, which
meant hardship. Sad but who knows But as an officer he got an apartment and she took care
of the house Life was back to normal! Not so fancy anymore tough

6. Happy End
1918! War is over Time to return Everyones happy. Big party, nice scenes, lot of Saying
Good-byes Life was new! Finally all over! Scene change China 1922 a French restaurant
in Shanghai (or: 1922, a Chinese restaurant in Paris. The producer can choose amid these two places). Our
hero is sitting at a nice elegant table, he owns the place! His friends being in the kitchen or being
the waiters. His wife, our beauty, and his three children are around him. There is also our French
officer sitting at the table. They are chatting nicely like old friends do, when the door opens and
the German Officer comes in (of course in civilian clothes, but if set in Paris the hero and the
French officer still wear their uniforms). They are not the least unhappy and invite him to join
their party They drink happily and chat laughingly the night away. Everyones happy for ever
and ever

















Idea:

O. A. Fischer, 2012