Film explores love, loss and human connection

For screenwriter Hu Xiaoshuai, the idea for Keep the Beat began with a dramatic question: How would a mother react if she encountered the young man who received the heart donated by her son, who died in a car accident?

The premise became even more compelling when Hu and his fellow creators developed a secret behind the seemingly accidental encounter, he said at a recent seminar in downtown Beijing.

Starring Kara Wang and Zhang Youhao, Keep the Beat was released in late August and is currently screening nationwide. The film has resonated with parents and children, particularly those familiar with overprotective, helicopter-style parenting.

Organized by the China Film Critics Association, the seminar brought together the film's creators, experts from academia and the arts, and film critics to discuss its artistic merits, social value and audience engagement.

Director Sun Lin said she was initially drawn to the idea of using a single heart to connect two strangers, two families and the unspoken truths between them. "The film is, above all, a story about people," she said.