China’s Iraq War ‘safe haven’ restaurant film of real people to represent country at Oscars
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture China Personalities China’s Iraq War ‘safe haven’ restaurant film of real people to represent country at Oscars
Director Wen Muye states that Chinese cuisine – with its emphasis on gathering and sharing – shares a natural, intrinsic connection to peace
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN Listen
Zoey Zhang Published: 6:00pm, 15 Oct 2026
A mainland-produced film about a Chinese restaurant in Baghdad that became a wartime refuge has been selected as China’s entry for next year’s Oscars, bringing global attention to untold stories from the Iraq War.
Directed by Wen Muye and starring Shen Teng and Jiang Qiming, Once Upon a Time in the Middle East became a box-office hit after its domestic release in China in August, earning more than 2.3 billion yuan (US$344 million).
The film follows Xu Fu, a chef who travels to the Middle East to repay his debts and opens a Chinese restaurant with a local partner. When war breaks out, the eatery becomes a safe haven for children displaced by the conflict.
On October 7, the film was announced as China’s submission in the Best International Feature Film category at next year’s 99th Academy Awards.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice