Light in the early, dark days of the pandemic

In the first story, a chivalry-spirited courier starring Huang Bo organizes a team of volunteers to help transport consumer goods and medical supplies for hospitals. Even though he cannot, for reasons of safety, reunite with his family during the Spring Festival holiday, his selfless endeavor raises him to superhero status with his little son, an animation fan.

Jia's tale features her as a physically strong yet softhearted delivery woman. After she goes to the aid of a divorced piano teacher with epilepsy who lives alone, a platonic relationship ensues. Zhu Yilong is in the role of the teacher, a versatile live wire who can effortlessly play a bit of Frederic Chopin or recite Percy Bysshe Shelley, adding a dash of both music and poetry to a city caught in the deathly grip of the coronavirus.

The other two stories, turning the lens on a wide range of people at different ages, are about a pair of elderly lovers－a Cantonese restaurateur and a retired doctor, and an estranged couple, both business people－starting to understand each other during days of the lockdown.

The film has been released in two versions, Wuhan dialect and Mandarin, but all actors were required to speak the dialect during shooting.

Jia, a native of Xiangyang in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, says bringing emotion to the lines she spoke was far from a challenge－more a leisurely rendering that rekindled memories.