Lou Reed War Songs

11/18/07
. (PR) Lou Reed has been known to be intensely moved by historical and international events and conflicts. Just recently, Reed composed and recorded two brand new songs -- "Gravity" and "Safety Zone" -- both inspired by the soon-to-be released film NANKING--a powerful and relevant documentary that tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. It is an emotional reminder of the heartbreaking toll that war takes on the innocent, and a testament to the courage and conviction of a few individuals determined to act in the face of evil.

The events of the film are told through deeply moving interviews with Chinese survivors, archival footage, and chilling testimonies of Japanese soldiers, interwoven with staged readings of the Westerners' letters and diaries as performed by Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, Jurgen Prochnow, and Stephen Dorff, among others.

Presented by THINKfilm, directed by the Academy-Award-winning team of Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman and marking the producing debut of AOL Vice Chairman Emeritus Ted Leonsis, Nanking premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007 and was the winner of the 2007 Sundance Documentary Editing Award. The film will be released on December 12 in New York City at The Film Forum followed by a national release in January 2008. - more on this story