‘Bang! 10 Days in China’s documentary which will be released globally in cinemas in July

A new documentary about one of pop music’s most remarkable cultural milestones is heading to theaters this summer. bang! 10 days in Chinaa feature film that explores Wham!’s historic visit to China in 1985, will have a worldwide theatrical release on July 28 before later airing on BBC Two and streams on BBC iPlayer.

Directed by Mike Christie (New Order: Decades, Accelerate or Die!)the 90-minute documentary revisits the ten-day journey seen George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley become the first Western pop stars to perform in the People’s Republic of China. The visit marked a defining moment not only in the duo’s rapid rise to international fame, but also in the growing cultural exchange between East and West during the mid-1980s.

Drawing on newly restored archival footage, behind-the-scenes footage and contemporary interviews, the film offers an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs of bringing a Western pop spectacle to a country that had only recently begun to open its doors to international influences.

The documentary features new contributions from Ridgeley, members of Wham!’s touring entourage and Chinese fans who witnessed the landmark concerts first hand. Their memories paint a vivid picture of a tour that transcended music and became a symbol of a rapidly changing era.

Commenting on the project, Andrew Ridgeley says, “This film finally reveals the unknown legacy of WHAM!’s pioneering venture, laying bare, in all their human contradictions, the individual perspectives behind what was a bold and risky high-stakes gamble.”