Evan Kail, an American who donated a rare photo album documenting Japanese wartime atrocities to China, has praised the film Dead to Rights as a "ten out of ten" cinematic achievement that confronts the legacy of the Nanjing Massacre. The movie, now a box-office success in the Chinese mainland, blends archival footage with personal narratives to memorialize victims of the 1937 tragedy.
Kail told CGTN anchor Xu Qinduo the film "keeps history alive" amid global efforts to preserve wartime memory. His donated album—featuring previously unseen images of Japanese war crimes—served as a key resource for researchers. Dead to Rights will debut in North American theaters on August 15, coinciding with the anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender.
"Go see this movie, especially if you're unfamiliar with what happened," Kail urged Western audiences, emphasizing the film's role in countering historical revisionism. Academics note its timing aligns with growing interest in Asia's wartime history among global researchers and diaspora communities.
