Chasing a crimson cipher

Recalling that she was the only Chinese cast member on set for the filming of the Lake Baikal action scene, Zheng tells China Daily that she participated in a traditional ceremony to mark the start of the film's production. "The wind was so strong that day, we formed a circle, held hands, and smashed a plate together — one engraved with the movie's title Red Silk. Everyone was so tall and held onto me tightly, worried I might be blown away. It was a really fun experience," she says.

"Interestingly, although I felt nervous throughout the entire shoot, all my anxiety vanished once we were on the lake. My focus shifted entirely to staying warm and keeping out the cold," Zheng adds.

Andrey Volgin, the film's Russian director who's also known for Dance to Death, explains the meaning of the title: red symbolizes love and victory, while also representing the Silk Road — together forming a direct association with China. A key element in the film is that the character Wang wears a red silk scarf with hollowed-out patterns that are essential for decoding the secret documents.

The shoot itself tested the endurance of the cast and crew. They faced a staggering temperature swing: from — 42 C on the frozen expanse of Lake Baikal to more than 40 C at Hengdian World Studios in East China's Zhejiang province.

Actor Milos Bikovic, who plays a former Czarist agent, describes the intense heat during an eight-hour shoot in Hengdian, saying that all four of his shirts became completely soaked.

However, the harsh conditions did little to dampen his spirits, which were only strengthened by witnessing the dedication of his Chinese colleagues. For instance, in a scene where messengers must jump off a cliff to escape a group of ruthless bandits, actor Huang Haonan — who plays the Chinese messenger Li — persevered through injuries to complete the stunt.

Zheng, terrified of the same stunt, eventually overcame her fear with the encouragement of her colleagues. "The producer was silently praying at the foot of the mountain, while my co-star kept making jokes to calm me down," she says. "It was the support of the entire team that gave me the courage to complete the shot."

Fu Ruoqing, chairman of the China Film Group Corporation, says that Red Silk stands as a testament to the deepening cultural exchanges and friendship between China and Russia. He also emphasizes the role of film in bringing new vitality to cross-cultural dialogue.

Producer Byrkin echoes the sentiment — that China and Russia share similarities in history — a fact that people from both countries can be proud of and one that should be shared with the world. Following the film's success, he has been contacted by other Chinese companies to discuss future collaborations.

That future is already taking shape. Building on the momentum of Red Silk, a sequel titled Black Silk is in development. The new story will shift to the early 1930s, a period of mounting turbulence and war.