On September 18th, our company organized all employees to go to the cinema to watch the movie "731".
On September 18th, our company organized all employees to go to the cinema to watch the movie "731". Taking history as a mirror, it awakens collective memory, conveys value consensus, and has multiple functions of historical education, spiritual inheritance and practical warning. It can be elaborated from the following dimensions:
I. Remember History: Restore the Truth and Reject Historical Nihilism
Unit 731 was a secret biological and chemical weapons research base established by Japanese militarism in Northeast China during World War II. Its crimes such as live experiments and bacteriological warfare were an extremely dark page in human history, yet they have long been downplayed and covered up by some forces.
The film "731" visualizes the narrative of this neglected historical detail through cinematic storytelling — whether it is the tragic experiences of the victims or the cruel atrocities of the invaders, they are all presented to the audience in an intuitive way. This helps contemporary people break free from the limitations of "fragmented historical materials" and understand the cruelty and authenticity of this period of history more completely and profoundly.
This process is essentially a powerful counterattack against "historical nihilism": it makes the "crimes of Unit 731" no longer abstract words in books, but vivid historical facts, reminding everyone that "history will not automatically remain; it needs to be actively remembered" to prevent tragedies from being repeated due to the fading of memory.
II. Paying Tribute to Martyrs and Victims: Conveying Awe and Remembrance
The victims of Unit 731 included countless unarmed Chinese civilians and prisoners of war, who lost their lives under inhumane torture, yet could hardly leave their names behind. Meanwhile, those righteous individuals who recorded the truth and resisted the atrocities also paid a huge price for restoring history.
Organizing the viewing of the film is a collective tribute to these two groups of people: on the one hand, by showing the suffering of the victims, it makes the audience feel the fragility and innocence of individuals in the atrocities of war, thereby generating reverence for life; on the other hand, by depicting the struggle of the just (such as documenting evidence and exposing crimes), it conveys the spiritual power of "not being silent in the face of evil". This reverence and remembrance are not only an account to history, but also a adherence to the bottom-line value of "being human" — reminding us that every life deserves respect, and everyone who speaks out for justice should not be forgotten.
III. Educational Warnings: Cultivating a Sense of Responsibility and Feelings for the Country and Family
For enterprises, organizing such film-watching activities is an educational method that combines "social responsibility" and "shaping employees' values":
To young employees: Many contemporary young people's understanding of the history of Unit 731 remains at the level of "having heard of it". Through its narrative expression, the film helps them break free from the "sense of distance" and truly realize that "this history is related to us" — the land beneath our feet has endured suffering, and today's peace does not exist naturally but is bought with the sacrifices of countless people.
To all employees: The discussions triggered after watching the film (such as "how to face historical scars" and "how should contemporary people safeguard peace") can transform historical memories into practical responsibilities. On the one hand, it stimulates a sense of identity with the country and the nation, making them understand that the meaning of "family and country" is not only an emotional belonging but also a value that needs to be jointly guarded. On the other hand, it guides employees to adhere to their bottom line in work and life — whether it is refusing to act against their conscience or maintaining a just stance when facing injustice, these are all practical practices of "remembering history".
IV. Realistic Enlightenment: Guard Against the Risk of War and Uphold the Bottom Line of Peace
Currently, there are still risks of local conflicts in the world, the resurgence of militarist ideas, and some countries are still trying to downplay or glorify the history of aggression. The significance of "731" is not only to "look back at the past" but also to "warn the present":
It allows the audience to clearly see the kind of disasters that "the madness of militarism" can bring to humanity — when science and technology are used for slaughter, and when human nature is distorted by war, no one can stay out of it. This warning is not about "inciting hatred" but about "awakening vigilance": peace is fragile and requires everyone to actively safeguard it; condoning the history of aggression is a threat to peace in the future.
For enterprises, this "awareness of peace" can also be transformed into social responsibility: whether it is adhering to moral bottom lines in operations, participating in public welfare, or spreading positive energy, all these are the implementation of the concept of "safeguarding peace".
In short, organizing screenings of 731 is not to perpetuate hatred, but to take history as a warning — to let every participant, in shock, understand "the preciousness of peace" and "the weight of history", and then transform this cognition into reverence for life, a sense of responsibility, and the protection of the future. This is both an account to history and a responsibility to contemporary people and future generations.
