Director Feng Xiaogang and the cast of "Back To 1942" including Adrien Brody attended the premiere of their new film in Beijing on November 25th. The film, featuring an all-star cast that includes American actors Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins, recalls the year 1942 when a deadly famine hit wartime China's Henan Province.

The preview screening ended with the audience's silence instead of applause, which was rare for a movie by Feng, a popular director with many bankable films to his name. Some viewers later said they were depressed by the tragic story. Feng agreed that his film created a gloomy atmosphere that viewers would find hard to shake off. "It is not a movie that needs applause. It makes the audience think," he said.

Brody, who plays an American journalist witnessing the famine, said despite the film's darkness, it delivers an optimistic message. "A film like this is an opportunity for us to learn from the mistakes of the past, and not let history repeat itself." He said "Back to 1942" reminded him of the 2002 film "The Pianist", which made him the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner. "Both the stories share the fact that human spirit has the ability to prevail and triumph even in the face of such darkness, and that is a positive, beautiful message."