Captured and tortured, the victims of Japan's Unit 731 endured unimaginable horrors. Now, their long-buried stories are finally being brought to light for international audiences.

The Chinese World War II film 731, also known as Evil Unbound, made its debut in New York on Thursday. It recounts the harrowing story of the Imperial Japanese Army's Unit 731, officially known as the 731st Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Unit.

"Let light and shadow become evidence of history; let the cinema become a courtroom of justice," said director Zhao Linshan during the premiere in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Sept 17.

"Every audience member is a judge — holding court for justice.

"It was one of the darkest moments in human history. We look back in remembrance not to reopen painful wounds, but to let the light of peace shine on the journey of human civilization," he added.

Established in Pingfang district of Harbin, Unit 731 committed atrocious war crimes by conducting lethal human experiments on Chinese civilians to develop chemical and biological weapons under the false pretense of preventing and curing disease, and water purification.

The record shows at least 3,000 people were killed by Unit 731, and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by the Japanese Army's biological weapons.

The movie follows Wang Yongzhang, a local vendor, along with other civilians who were captured by the Japanese and then deceived by false promises of freedom in exchange for cooperating with disease prevention and scientific research, only to become subjects of brutal human experiments, including frostbite testing, gas exposure and vivisection.

From books to screen

"Actually, most of us learn about these events through news or books," said Zhao Yihan, a graduate student from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York state.

"This time, the director's team probably went through a lot of historical documents to accurately recreate the past. It made the story more vivid on screen, showing us the various ways the Japanese army brutally harmed our fellow citizens and friends from other countries. I think this serves as a very valuable lesson."

Julie Flandreau, a French PhD candidate at Columbia University, said: "I want to go home and educate myself on that now … I'm realizing there's a huge part of history. I just need to know more about it."

Having grown up in France and Switzerland, she said that much of World War II history was taught in the classroom, but "the specific roles of Japan weren't mentioned so much".

Like Flandreau, Jonathan Alvarez, a manager with Well Go USA Entertainment from Dallas, Texas, said his own education on Japan's role in World War II focused primarily on the Pearl Harbor attack.

"I think international cinema is always important. It's always great to see different world views and learn the true history of other countries and how it relates back to our own," he said.

The film 731 follows the huge success of Dead to Rights, another Chinese World War II movie, centered on the Nanjing Massacre, that made it to the global stage.

"In recent years, these kinds of films have become even more popular, and the subject matter is getting more attention and coverage worldwide. I think that's a good thing," said Zhao from Cornell University, who enjoys watching movies of this genre.

"They truly show us that, at the time, people had no choice — they were forced to endure unimaginable atrocities. These films have also gained recognition internationally, serving as a reminder of the importance of cherishing peace."

The film ends, but one line endures, "If you remember, I have truly lived."

bilinlin@chinadailyusa.com