The film uses props and visual effects to recreate the wartime landscapes, especially the architecture of the 1940s.

To shoot a scene of Soviet soldiers rallying at a railway station, the crew borrowed old trains from multiple locations around Russia, the director says.

"When I visited Kazakhstan to do research on the film for the first time, I was surprised to find that Xian is very popular in music and art circles there. Every year, locals hold a concert to perform his Yellow River Cantata," says Xirzat, adding that he hopes the film will enhance friendship between the people of both countries.

Coproduced by China's Shinework Pictures and Kazakhfilm JSC, the film will be released in China on Friday and in Kazakhstan a few days later.