Children's musical strikes a chord on the big screen

Many of the child actors were recruited from a local children's choir established in 2018, whose members come largely from village families. Wearing traditional silver ornaments, the young performers bring their cultural heritage and lived experiences to the screen.

Li Haofei, who plays Xiao Ji, a volunteer teacher in the film, recalled how much the children had changed during production.

"During filming last year, the youngest child could barely speak. Now she can already sing this song skillfully," Li said.