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Review of DONGJI RESCUE European Premiere

Dongji Rescue is a fantastic film. It has mesmerizingly beautiful imagery, interwoven with the weight of tragic historical realities, and pays tribute to the extraordinary courage of the fishermen living on Dongji Island.

absolute rubbish event. confusing communication that had to be TRANSLATED BY FELLOW FANS because the organizers couldn't be bothered to post anything in any language but chinese. Red carpet access was promised to all fans, but never happened. Stuck in line for hours in the heat, with no sensible queue system and blatant unprofessional behavior by the organizers. Shameful and embarrassing for everyone involved.

First of all, let me start with the good part: this is truly a great film. Apart from a few minor details, there's really nothing to criticize. It's been many years since I've enjoyed a Chinese film this much, and I'll very likely watch it again when it's officially released. Overall, today's experience felt like going to a restaurant with zero service, messy and chaotic, yet serving dishes so exquisite that they felt completely out of place-because the chef really is Michelin-star level.

The premiere event, however, can only be described with one word: chaotic. It was so disorganized that I felt there was no order at all on site, leaving me both frustrated and disappointed. Sadly, it gave me the impression that the organizers did not truly respect either the audience's enthusiasm or the filmmakers' hard work. Once I arrived at the venue, the lack of professionalism from the organizing team became impossible to ignore. This is fundamentally an issue of respect-it deserved to be promoted in a more orderly and thoughtful manner. My personal impression was that the organizers seemed to lack experience in hosting this type of event-which should not have been the case. With apologies, I must say frankly that I believe there was serious negligence on the organizers' part in this premiere. 

Let me share a few observations from the event itself.

Difficulty Identifying Staff : It was almost impossible to recognise who the staff members were. Other than the security guards, who wore coordinated black uniforms, the rest of the staff dressed in casual clothes and blended into the crowd. I did not notice any visible staff badges or signage to identify their roles. Almost no staff appeared to step forward to manage the chaos. Many simply kept their heads down, busy at tables, but those tables also had no signs to indicate what tasks they were handling.

Confusing Queue Arrangements : Although the organisers had previously announced on social media that the tick*t collection desk would be located to the left of the entrance, in reality it was just a small table with a few staff members, completely hidden once the crowd grew. No staff were present to direct the audience about how many lines there were or what each line was for. Meanwhile, the barriers were not separating two audience queues but instead used to separate all audiences from the rest of the crew. This caused great confusion-many attendees mistakenly believed they were already in the tick*t line, until some helpful audience members took it upon themselves to clarify. 

Popcorn Distribution:  I do appreciate the good intention behind providing free popcorn. However, since the popcorn was packed in plastic bags, the first half of the film was filled with the rustling sound of plastic, which seriously distracted from the immersive experience. Only after most people had finished eating did the noise gradually stop. While sealed plastic bags may be more hygienic, there is a reason why most cinemas serve popcorn in paper boxes. Personally, I would much rather the budget had gone to renting small opera binoculars for each audience member, as the screen size felt unreasonably small for those seated at the back.

Lack of Regulation of Audience Behaviour:  Another issue was the lack of enforcement of rules. The official social media accounts had announced dress codes (e.g., "please avoid sleeveless tops or sandals") and restrictions on detachable-lens cameras or professional video equipment. Yet many attendees ignored these rules without consequence. During tick*t collection, line-cutting was common, but again there was no management. At the post-screening Q&A, a large number of audience members stood up to film the guests on stage, blocking the view of those behind them. This behavior spread quickly until nearly a third of the cinema was standing, but no staff stepped in to intervene. Such indulgence only leaves rule-abiding audience members feeling disappointed.

The "Red Carpet":  It was clear that the so-called "red carpet" was a last-minute arrangement. In fact, there was no actual carpet at all. Unlike other events where a real carpet is laid out, here the actors simply passed quickly through a crowded corridor of people. The setup felt perfunctory and rushed. If no carpet is provided, perhaps it should simply be called a "brief appearance" rather than a red carpet event.

While waiting, I spoke with many attendees who all tried hard to stay calm and polite, supporting the film by even engaging with interviews. But in reality, many people had already begun to question the organizers' poor attitude and lack of care. If not for our love for this film, none of us would have paid so much money just to endure hours of discomfort.

I want to emphasize that my intention has never been to blame the on-site staff. It was clear that the limited number of staff members were assigned far too much work, leaving them under enormous pressure and extremely busy throughout the event. They were simply doing their jobs, and I do not believe they should be held responsible for these organizational issues. The responsibility lies with the organizers for poor planning and inadequate arrangements. --That was what I believed at the beginning, until I was contacted privately by someone who identified themselves as a staff member, using a personal account, after I posted the same comments above on a mainstream Chinese social media platform. They told me that my post could negatively affect the reputation of the film and its crew, and asked me to modify some of my criticisms of the organizers. They also suggested that such comments on them might discourage people from hosting events like this in the future. At the same time, they unilaterally told me that if I had any dissatisfaction, I could contact CineAsia's official account to request a refund. However, I was not given any assurance that my concerns would actually be acknowledged or responded to by the official account. Yes, I must be honest that my trust in the organizing company has been seriously affected. It is not only the behaviors and issues I have already described that caused me to lose confidence, but also the overall impression I received-that this organization feels like a small group of friends running a website together. This perception makes me doubt the level of professionalism and accountability that should have been expected for an event of this scale.

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