Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has been co-opted into an ongoing soft power drive to promote Beijing’s message internationally
3-MIN READ3-MINFan ChenPublished: 9:00am, 19 Aug 2026A new film telling the story of the Iraq war through Chinese eyes marks the latest in a series of soft power initiatives designed to get Beijing’s message across to the wider world.
Although Once Upon a Time in the Middle East does not explicitly state the name of the country in question, it is set in the 2000s and features an invasion by American troops.
The film’s central character, a Chinese chef named Xu Fu who is working off his debts at the time the war starts, turns his modest restaurant into both a shelter for local orphans and a bar for American soldiers.
But despite suffering a series of traumas, which include the destruction of his business and imprisonment by both Americans and local militant groups, he continues trying to shield the children from the conflict.
State media has also said that the film draws on the real-life experiences of several Chinese restaurateurs who lived through the war in Iraq.
The film, which was largely shot in China, debuted on August 11 and had passed the 1 billion yuan (US$148 million) mark at the box office by Monday. It is also being released overseas.
