Last year's five-day war between Russia and Georgia is to be the subject of a new drama by Finnish-American action movie director Renny Harlin, according to a report earlier this week.

Entertainment industry Daily Variety reported that Harlin, best known for action movies such as Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, was keen to make a serious movie based around the conflict.

The war erupted last year when an attempt by Georgian troops to retake South Ossetia was rebuffed by Russia. Moscow then sent troops and tanks deep into Georgian territory.

Harlin's film would follow an American journalist and a cameraman who get caught up in the fighting and their struggle to remain impartial. Harlin said the movie would be a "strong anti-war statement".

"I've waited a long time to find something with substance and reality," Harlin, 50, was quoted as saying by Variety.

"When I got this script two weeks ago, it was exactly what I had been looking for, a great human story, with tragic, serious overtones."

"I saw it as my opportunity to use my experience in action films to tell the story of a complex conflict that is impartial but makes a strong anti-war statement."

"I want to make a film that says something about the human condition, and even if only a few people see this and feel its impact and its anti-war message, then I will have done something that's important and I will be proud of it," he added.

Harlin's most recent film was the action film 12 Rounds, released in North American theaters in March.

(China Daily/AFP August 7, 2009)