The movie was shot in just over a month between March and April last year, set in everyday locations in Beijing such as a crowded subway, a hotpot restaurant and the 112-year-old Beijing Zoo.

One of the most memorable scenes was filmed in front of the polar bear exhibit at the zoo. The protagonist is having a phone conversation with his mother, who is nagging him affectionately. He conceals his homesickness during the conversation, but eventually bursts into tears. Behind him, a giant polar bear leisurely passes by in the enclosure, creating a meaningful contrast, Liu said.

"We chose the exhibit because of its architectural style and structure, and the colors were suitable for expressing the sentimental emotions in this scene. There's no way that we could arrange for the polar bear to act. So, when the bear slowly walked by it felt like a kind of serendipity," recalls the director.

A Beijing native, Liu also incorporated a few stories she heard from families and friends in the narrative, creating an authentic and unfiltered depiction of the city.

One such example is a conversation between Wen and his friend about some people who swim in Beijing's moat and sink a plastic bag that carries their chess equipment with stones to stop it being stolen.

The movie also features a special character, a young man called Xiaoyin, portrayed by Wu Lei. Xiaoyin is an imaginary friend of Wen's who appears like a roommate when the writer feels confused and lost.

"To a certain extent, Xiaoyin represents a friend (existing in the imagination) that I see within the realm of my writing. I believe many storytellers share this experience — when they are engaged in writing, they can have 'conversations' with the characters," she explains.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn