"Nanking" is a powerful reminder of the heartbreaking toll that war takes on the innocent and a testament to the courage and conviction of a few individuals determined to act in the face of evil. The film tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II and focuses on the efforts of a small group of unarmed Westerners who established a safety zone where more than 200,000 Chinese found refuge. The events of the film are told through deeply moving interviews with Chinese survivors, archival footage and chilling testimonies of Japanese soldiers, interwoven with staged readings of the Westerners' letters and diaries.