"Empire of Silver" is a period drama centered around a powerful banking family during the turbulent period at the end of the 19th century when China transitioned from an Imperial to an early Republican state. The movie hit cinemas in China on August 21st, and the box office has been busy ever since. Today, we focus our "Spotlight" on "Empire of Silver".

Adapted from a romance trilogy "The Silver Valley" by Cheng Yi, "Empire of Silver" is a gripping tale of a little-known aspect of Sino history. It was the 'Wall Street' of Imperial China, located in Shanxi Province of North China. The area controlled the nation's finances by managing money transfers and funds.

Eliciting drama from the banking mechanisms of the time, the film unveils the story of a business dynasty brought to its knees by internal divisions.

The film is the first full-length feature by the Taiwan-born director, Christina Yao. With a budget of 80-million yuan, or about 12-million US dollars, the film is relevant to today. It touches on a financial crisis in China long ago, which resonates with the current global economic recession. This aspect of the film warranted it an invitation to the special section of the Berlin Film Festival this year.

Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok plays the lead role, an idealistic and hedonistic young man who is the heir to a banking empire. Kwok says he is loving his new career in acting. He started off in the entertainment business as a singer. So, he says he is here to learn.

Actor Aaron Kwok said, "Every actor in this movie is my teacher because I'm the only actor from Hong Kong. The rest of the cast are all from Beijing. They are experienced artists. I didn't speak good mandarin. So I learned a lot from them and try to correct my weird accent."