Director tracks horror of child trafficking

Youku promotes 'micro-film' market

4th Beijing Int'l Film Festival kicks off

Zhao Wei, the veteran actress and rising director, leads the cast in her first portrayal of a rural woman. As a mother to a 4-year-old girl, she was deeply touched by the storyline.

"It is more than moving. It is terrifying," she said at a news conference recently. "You never know when a disaster could haunt your life, and losing one's child is one of the most horrid things that can happen."

Child smuggling is a social issue prompting wide concern in China. The police have recovered more than 50,000 children from traffickers since 2009, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Some parents formed unions to help each other in their search, which can last for years. Lawyers and intellectuals use Weibo, the Chinese answer to Twitter, to collect information and raise money for them.

In the film, actor Tong Dawei plays a lawyer who helps the parents. He hopes the film will raise more awareness of the issue.

The film will be released in early October.