A gripping Sino-Russian thriller blends history, action and cultural exchange in one of the year's most successful coproductions, Xu Fan reports.

On the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, the horizon dissolves into an endless stretch of blue. More than a natural wonder, the world's largest and deepest freshwater lake has long symbolized the vastness of Russia itself. Against this striking backdrop, a heart-pounding action sequence unfolds in Red Silk, one of the most commercially successful Sino-Russian coproductions to date. A Chinese courier and a Soviet Red Army soldier race across the ice on a yacht, taking a perilous shortcut in pursuit of a speeding train.

For actress Zheng Hanyi, who plays the Chinese messenger Wang Lin, filming the scene alongside Russian actor Gleb Kalyuzhnyy was unforgettable. The sheer scale of Lake Baikal, coupled with the icy wind, made every moment feel otherworldly.

Seven months before its recent Chinese mainland release on Sept 6, the 146-minute movie premiered in Russia on Feb 20, raking in 689 million rubles ($8.24 million) at the local box office from 1.47 million moviegoers, placing it among the top 10 highest-grossing films in Russia this year.

With this year marking the 76th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, the film is one of the major projects within the framework of the China-Russia Years of Culture in 2024 and 2025, standing as a testament to the growing cinematic cooperation between the two countries.

According to its producer, Vadim Byrkin, the creators researched the relationship between the two countries in the late 1920s, the period when the tale is set, and drew inspiration from several movies, including iconic director Zhang Yimou's espionage thriller Cliff Walkers. The production recruited an international crew of around 170 Russians and 300 Chinese, as well as hiring 1,200 extras for the large-scale scenes.

The plot of Red Silk follows three Chinese couriers who board the Trans-Siberian Express in Shanghai on a mission to deliver secret documents to Moscow — papers that could alter the destiny of both nations.

To ensure the documents' safety, a former Czarist agent and a young Red Army soldier are forced into an unlikely alliance. Their journey quickly turns into a deadly race for survival: they must fend off a band of ruthless train robbers and survive a poisonous gas leak, all while trying to uncover the mastermind behind the escalating conspiracy.

Zheng's character, Wang, is one of the couriers, accompanied by Gao, the elderly leader, and Li Bo, who has carried a lifelong, unspoken love for her. Wang, however, begins to develop a bond with Kalyuzhnyy's soldier. For Zheng, a former stage musical performer, stepping into the role was both daunting and rewarding.

Recalling that she was the only Chinese cast member on set for the filming of the Lake Baikal action scene, Zheng tells China Daily that she participated in a traditional ceremony to mark the start of the film's production. "The wind was so strong that day, we formed a circle, held hands, and smashed a plate together — one engraved with the movie's title Red Silk. Everyone was so tall and held onto me tightly, worried I might be blown away. It was a really fun experience," she says.

"Interestingly, although I felt nervous throughout the entire shoot, all my anxiety vanished once we were on the lake. My focus shifted entirely to staying warm and keeping out the cold," Zheng adds.

Andrey Volgin, the film's Russian director who's also known for Dance to Death, explains the meaning of the title: red symbolizes love and victory, while also representing the Silk Road — together forming a direct association with China. A key element in the film is that the character Wang wears a red silk scarf with hollowed-out patterns that are essential for decoding the secret documents.

The shoot itself tested the endurance of the cast and crew. They faced a staggering temperature swing: from — 42 C on the frozen expanse of Lake Baikal to more than 40 C at Hengdian World Studios in East China's Zhejiang province.

Actor Milos Bikovic, who plays a former Czarist agent, describes the intense heat during an eight-hour shoot in Hengdian, saying that all four of his shirts became completely soaked.

However, the harsh conditions did little to dampen his spirits, which were only strengthened by witnessing the dedication of his Chinese colleagues. For instance, in a scene where messengers must jump off a cliff to escape a group of ruthless bandits, actor Huang Haonan — who plays the Chinese messenger Li — persevered through injuries to complete the stunt.

Zheng, terrified of the same stunt, eventually overcame her fear with the encouragement of her colleagues. "The producer was silently praying at the foot of the mountain, while my co-star kept making jokes to calm me down," she says. "It was the support of the entire team that gave me the courage to complete the shot."

Fu Ruoqing, chairman of the China Film Group Corporation, says that Red Silk stands as a testament to the deepening cultural exchanges and friendship between China and Russia. He also emphasizes the role of film in bringing new vitality to cross-cultural dialogue.

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Producer Byrkin echoes the sentiment — that China and Russia share similarities in history — a fact that people from both countries can be proud of and one that should be shared with the world. Following the film's success, he has been contacted by other Chinese companies to discuss future collaborations.

That future is already taking shape. Building on the momentum of Red Silk, a sequel titled Black Silk is in development. The new story will shift to the early 1930s, a period of mounting turbulence and war.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn