Shanghai Film Group announced on Thursday that they would start shooting a film on Lu Xun, one of China's greatest writers, this spring.

It will be the first film ever shot on the writer, said Ren Zhonglun, president of Shanghai Film Group.

Ren said they would cooperate with Ding Yinnan, a director who has made his name on films about historical figures such as Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, in making the film, and had invited Zhou Haiying, Lu Xun's son, to be the advisor-in- general.

The scenario of the film has been submitted to the State Administration for Radio, Film and TV for approval, said Ren.

The search for actors and actresses in the projected film is still underway.

Lu Xun, who was born in Shaoxing County, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Sept. 25, 1881 and died on Oct. 9, 1936, was China's greatest man of letters in the 20th century, and was heralded as the "backbone" of the Chinese nation for his powerful writings that lashed out the feudal system and the imperialistic colonization of China.

His best-known works include The True Story of Ah Q, A Madman's Diary, Kong Yiji and Medicine which exposed the ugly side of human nature.

(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2004)