WITH her directorial debut phenomenal hit “Hi, Mom” grossing over 5.4 billion yuan (US$845.1 million), Jia Ling is looking to wrap up a hugely successful year with a second project. Recently, the director-actress returned to her most familiar zone of acting, joining hands with actors Huang Bo and Zhu Yilong to recount a heartwarming tale about ordinary people’s fight against the early COVID-19 outbreak in Hubei Province’s capital city Wuhan in the winter of 2020. The film held a promotional event in downtown Beijing on Tuesday, attended by the cast and director Xue Xiaolu, best known for the romance franchise “Finding Mr. Right.” Jia plays a food delivery woman who sparks a flame with actor Zhu — portraying a piano teacher — and actor Huang stars as a delivery man inspired by the real story of Wang Yong, a role model who led a team of volunteer drivers to provide free rides for doctors and nurses working at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital during the most difficult time. Both Jia and Zhu, natives of Central China’s Hubei Province, speak the local dialect in the film, scheduled to be released Dec. 31. Meanwhile, an online feature film “Reborn” — based on true stories — has started showing on the streaming site Youku starting Friday. The film is also a tribute to the unsung heroes fighting COVID-19.(SD-Agencies) | 