“In a bumpy carriage, there sat a girl with a sad look. She turned around silently, hoping to catch sight of her hometown once more. The girl was at a loss as to where she was heading and what her destiny would be like in the future.” These melancholy sentences are the prelude lyrics of the “Song of Survivors”, which is adapted from Jewish folk songs and composed by Bella. Ms. Bella, a well-known Canadian writer born in Shanghai, will hold the “Song of Survivors Concert” at the Shanghai Concert Hall at 7:30 pm on November 13, 2021. To conclude the concert, Ms. Bella will sing the “Song of Survivors” herself.

Bella has long been interested in the literary creation and research of Jews in Shanghai. The "Song of Survivors", a long novel, describes the story of a Jewish youth who has realized his dream in Shanghai during World War II. It is based on the true story of David Medavoy and his wife, the parents of legendary Hollywood film producer Mike Medavoy and their lives in Shanghai. The novel is known as Shanghai’s own version of the "Gone with the Wind".

The novel depicts eternal love stories between several couples from different countries and the ups and downs of each character’s fate during the troubled times of the war. The stories demonstrate the common emotions of mankind and freedom and the humanitarian spirit of equality and universal love.

The author chose the revolution of communication technologies as an entry point to describe the early industrial civilization in Shanghai. The story completely and vividly portrays the past of Shanghai’s initial telecom development. Nowadays, the U.S. keeps suppressing China’s Hi-Tech. However, Shanghai has always been an open and innovative city. Information revolution had already flourished in the 1930s and 1940s.  Few people knew that coin-operated telephone booths were used in Shanghai about eighty to ninety years ago. In addition, the underground party secretly took on a series of actions to protect the telecommunication equipment used by American businesses, which greatly contributed to the city’s rebuilding after the war.  

Bella says that her ultimate dream is to show the humanitarian spirit of her country with "Story Diplomacy". She hopes to be endowed with the eyes of discovering beauty to look back at the history of her hometown and unearth the "treasures" of stunning beauty from the wasteland of the years. The descendant of Yu Bingjian, a telecom expert, and a national hero in her book, met with Bella after the publication of the "Song of Survivors”.  Bella acknowledges that “There have existed so many great men during the development of telecom industry in Shanghai. It is sad that none of them have made a name. It is the nature of mankind to forget. An author’s mission to document history precisely has become stronger.

“Literature composition is a holy mission for me. Each work of mine is not just a literature work but also a bridge which connects Oriental and Occidental civilizations,” said Bella. Simultaneously, she expressed that she hoped to depict her motherland in her literary work from a cosmopolitan viewpoint. More importantly, she wanted to show a humanitarian spirit to the world by telling stories of Shanghai. The "Song of Survivors” is a book that specifically narrates such stories. It reveals Shanghai's inclusiveness, tolerance, and universal love and records the glories of the history of Jews who found shelter in Shanghai during World War II.

The Chinese version of the "Song of Survivors" was published in 2019 by the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, and the response was enthusiastic. On August 17, 2020, the Shanghai Foreign Language Publishing House premiered the English version of the "Song of Survivors” during the Shanghai Book Fair. It was translated by Ge Haowen, a leading American sinologist. In addition, the documentary of the same name is currently being filmed and will be broadcasted by the Shanghai Oriental TV Station. The film vividly reproduces the true story and historical background. The author depicts the profound theme of the community with a shared future of mankind through the ups and downs of David Dora’s destiny. The documentary turns the fictional novel into reality, restoring the real life of Mike's parents. As a 90 to 100 minutes long documentary in 4K resolution, it will be broadcasted on Chinese and American TV stations as well as in some cinemas. At the same time, the large bronze sculpture of the "Song of Survivors" is being cast. It will be permanently collected by the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum at the end of the year.

Many well-known performers, such as dubbers for the Japanese TV series “Sugata Sanshiro” and the movie “Zorro” and Tong Zirong, will attend the concert.  Famous TV hosts from the Shanghai TV Station, including Chenguang, Liu Jiazhen (also a voice actor), and Chen Yanhua (also known as "Sister Swallow"), are among the guests as well. Chen Xiaoqun, an acclaimed soprano and professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and Dr. Sarkar, an Israel pianist, will also attend the concert.

Four years ago, Bella held the “In Pursuit of Love” piano recital at the Shanghai Concert Hall together with the prince of voice actors, Tong Zirong, and the princess of voice actresses, Liu Guangning. Unfortunately, Liu Guangning has passed away.

The "Song of the Survivors" is a song of urban triumph that showcases the broad inclusiveness, humility, tolerance, and humanitarian spirit of Shanghai. It is also a historical elegy for the Jewish people's wanderings and tragic destiny. It is a hymn that echoes in the soul and the sky and exemplifies that people persist in love and faith through suffering. Above all, it is an ode to the centuries that exhibits the common suffering and destiny of the Chinese people and mankind. One of the breathtaking lyrics in the "Song of the Survivors" reads, “the sorrow of a vagrant nation is the death of all mankind.”

Over ten general consuls, hundreds of foreigners, overseas students, and senior executives of foreign companies will attend the concert. It will be broadcasted live with English subtitles. Besides literature composition, Bella is very fascinated by piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting.  She participated in the "Foreigners Singing Japanese Songs" competition while she was in Japan and won a prize. During the concert, Bella will also play the piano and sing in Japanese to interpret the sadness and loneliness of the Japanese folk song, "The Moon in the Deserted City," and reminisce about her youth in Tokyo.