Promotional material for Chinese Doctors. Photo: Sina Weibo

Chinese Doctors, a film inspired by the real life stories of China's medical workers fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, is finally set to be released on April 30. The last day of April not only coincides with the time when Wuhan's cherry blossoms start to fall like all the other bygone spring days of the city, but also kicks off the May Day holiday, an opportunity for many moviegoers to head to cinemas. 

Boasting more than 30 stars such as Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan and Jackson Yee, the film focuses on the frontline workers in Wuhan as well as all other medical staff across the country that supported the city during a crucial time in China. 

The upcoming film's release date stirred up netizens' high anticipation. The film has become a trending topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo with many netizens commenting saying that it will be their first choice when heading to the movies during the May Day holiday. 

"This is good to know. Watching the film is what I'll definitely do during the May Day holiday," said a netizen on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. 

"My eyes are dazzled. The cast of the film is everything, so tempted to watch it," said another. 

"Super idols like Jackson Yee can really bring young people to watch the film, which will engage people's national spirit. It is already obvious that his participation can make the film a hot topic on China's social media platforms, and becoming a hot topic is absolutely an effective way to promote the film," Xiao, a film expert in the Chinese film industry, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"Cast wise, the film is like a balanced mechanism. It has young idols as eye-catching attractions; at the same time, it also has very good actors such as Zhang Hanyu as an underpinning," noted Xiao. 

Helmed by Liu Weiqiang, also known as Andrew Lau, the film consulted China's top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan back in July 2020 before shooting began. It ignited Zhong's anticipation for the film and inspired this leading figure of China's anti-pandemic efforts to call for more international understanding concerning China's fight against COVID-19. 

Liu himself has also brought the film some positive voices as a well-respected Hong Kong director of great works such as Infernal Affairs and Initial D. Additionally, some netizens mentioned Liu's 2019 work The Captain, a similarly star-studded production that portrays the bravery of Chinese air flight crews, saying that this has made them even more intrigued by the upcoming film. 

"I was touched by The Captain and I like Liu's way of telling a story. The new film can't be missed," noted another. 

"The film will be released at the time when people's life in China is gradually returning to normal. There will be a lot of empathy and resonance among audiences, and I believe it will have a good run," Shi Wenxue, a cultural and film critic based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.