The cast of Lost and Love Photo: Courtesy of Huayi Brothers

People often talk about how children are the hope of an entire family. But what happens when that child goes missing? How far are parents willing to go to get them back? Hong Kong actor Andy Lau's latest work, Lost and Love, seeks to explore these questions.

Centering around the true story of a father (Andy Lau) and his search for his kidnapped boy, the film is set to hit big screens across the country on Friday, the film's production company Huayi Brothers announced at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

"It was not easy for him [Lei Zekun, the father the movie is based on]. He was on the road looking for his son for fifteen years. The support he received from many kind-hearted people and volunteers helped warm him and us," Lau said at the press conference, revealing that the part of the film that touched him the most was a scene in which traffic police return Lei Zekun's map back to him after hiding 200 yuan ($30)inside.  

With this being his first big screen film, director Peng Sanyuan explained at the press conference how he tried to emphasize the reality of Lei Zekun's situation in the film.

 For instance, at one part of the film, he even had one of the other actors slap Lau for real. According to Peng, he wants the audience to feel the reality of the slap, so they too can feel an echo of the physical and mental pain Lei Zekun experienced.