Three-day holiday premieres tear-jerking comedy

Now I Met Her — an upcoming film that recounts a tear-jerking story through a comedic tone — will be released domestically on Friday, ahead of the three-day Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day.

As the latest project of Bad Monkey, a brand focused on noir comedies established by veteran filmmaker Ning Hao in 2012, the new film features Ning as executive producer and 32-year-old Xiao Luxi as director.

With a maverick narrative, the story unfolds with Zhang Shiyi, played by actor Huang Minghao, an 18-year-old who discovers a diary written by his late mother, who suffered from cancer and passed away 11 minutes after giving birth to him, the reason he was named Shiyi, or eleven. From her words, he pieces together his mother's life: short, yet brilliantly colorful.

Although the young protagonist reads about his mother's three romances — a breakdancer was her first crush, a college boyfriend who was sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling cellphones, and her marriage to a colleague — he is surprised to find that all three men were actually one: his father. His mother loved him so deeply that she insisted on giving birth to him despite being diagnosed with cancer.

Actress Ma Sichun, known for the award-winning film Soulmate, portrays Shiyi's mother. She revealed during the Beijing premiere held on Tuesday that the role has infused her with energy and healing.

"I feel even now, her radiance and vitality continue to nourish me, and I am becoming better and better," shared the actress.

"When we started reading the script together and sharing our opinions on it, we were a family, immersed in a relaxed atmosphere," recalled Huang, adding that the family chemistry helped him relate to the role better.

Advanced screenings of the film were held in 20 cities on April 1 and 2, with just one screening each day, a conventional marketing strategy aimed at generating online buzz. On its official release, its screening share reached 18.3 percent, ranking second to the American-Japanese animated comedy, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.