Top: Antonov Dmitry portrays a Soviet paratrooper in the Chinese film Survival. Top right: Dmitry (third from left) plays the German communist revolutionary Otto Braun in the Chinese micro-drama Bright Horizon. Middle: Dmitry takes part in a traditional Chinese-style photo shoot wearing hanfu at Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang province. Bottom: Dmitry appears as a Russian police officer in the Chinese film Moscow Mission. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In the countryside of Le'an county, Jiangxi province, Russian actor Antonov Dmitry stood face-to-face with Chinese actor Chi Shuai on the set of the revolutionary historical micro-drama Bright Horizon.

Dmitry, 37, plays Otto Braun, also known in China as Li De, a German military adviser sent to China by the Communist International in the 1930s. In the scene, Braun insists on his own military judgment and demands full command of the troops, while Mao Zedong, played by Chi, argues for tactical adjustments based on the realities on the battlefield.

"This is one of the most emotionally charged scenes I've ever filmed," Dmitry said, recalling how he slammed the table so hard during shooting that he bruised his hand.

"But I didn't feel the pain," he said. "I was completely immersed in the role."

Even during camera adjustments and brief water breaks, the actors stayed in character, maintaining the emotional pressure throughout.

"If you relax for even a second, the tension disappears," he said.

Dmitry admitted that in recent years he has begun carrying heart medication with him on set as a precaution.

"It shows how physically and emotionally demanding historical roles can be," he said.

For Dmitry, the scene was more than just a performance. It reflected what has drawn him ever deeper into acting in China: the challenge of entering another history, another emotional world, and another way of storytelling.