A theatrical documentary about Wham!’s groundbreaking visit to China in 1985 has been released as “Wham! 10 Days in China,” utilizing archival footage from the original production. The project traces back to early 1985, when music producer Martin Lewis was approached by Jazz Summers, one of Wham!’s managers, about filming the group’s planned concert tour in China—intended as a publicity strategy to help the band break into the American market.
Lewis engaged filmmaker Lindsay Anderson to direct the project with the intention of creating a serious documentary that would portray the band members as cultural ambassadors rather than producing a standard music video-style travelogue. Anderson completed an 80-minute work-in-progress titled “If You Were There,” which examined China during a period of modernization. However, after a private screening of the footage six months into production, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley expressed dissatisfaction with Anderson’s approach, leading to his dismissal from the project.
Lewis has since revealed that the conflict stemmed from miscommunication between the band members and their management team. Summers and co-manager Simon Napier-Bell had not informed George Michael and Ridgeley about the artistic strategy behind Anderson’s involvement, leaving the musicians unprepared for a sophisticated documentary rather than the casual travel content they were expecting. Additionally, circumstances shifted dramatically after the band’s 1985 North American stadium tour, when George Michael informed his managers he intended to pursue a solo career, prompting them to seek a quick commercial product rather than a film festival-caliber work.
Anderson’s original film was largely abandoned in favor of a condensed version called “Foreign Skies,” produced by music video directors and released in 1986. The new estate-sanctioned film now incorporates the cinematography from Anderson’s abandoned production alongside contemporary material. Lewis has maintained his professional relationship with both Anderson—until the director’s death nine years later—and George Michael, despite the production conflict.
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