Set in 1946 during the Chinese Civil War, ‘Zhì qu weihu shan’ tells the story of communist soldier Yang Zirong as he infiltrates a local gang of bandits. The storyline is based on the novel ‘Tracks in the Snowy Forest’ by Qu Bo and was one of eight revolutionary model operas (yangbanxi) produced by Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing during the Cultural Revolution.

The movie was critically acclaimed for transforming a Chinese classic into a barnstorming period actioner. Hong Kong genre-meister Tsui Hark received praise for some of the most impressive 3D visuals in recent mainland cinema history. 

Spectacular supporting act

The spectacular 3D soundscape for this war drama was mixed by MBS, a local post-production services and distribution organization and longstanding technology partner of Barco. The Hong Kong-based company mixed the first Chinese movie in Auro 11.1 with Tsui Hark in 2013, and they have partnered again for ‘Zhi qu wehu shan’ to create another powerful cinematic soundscape in Auro 11.1. Mr. Kinson Tsang, Managing Director and Chief Engineer at MBS explains: “The Auro 11.1 sound format enables us to create a unique and immersive audio experience for cinemagoers; and we are looking forward to producing more great quality immersive 3D movie mixes in Auro 11.1 by Barco.”

Auro 11.1 sound format

The Auro-3D Creative Tool Suite, developed by Auro Technologies, allows producers to create an immersive aural experience based on three axes: width, depth and height. In theaters equipped with the Auro 11.1 by Barco speaker layout, this results in the most realistic and natural immersive audio experience. Moreover, the system is compatible with existing standards and workflows, offering a path to an open standard for immersive sound.