CHINESE actress Zhao Wei’s first film as a director will hit screens April 26, Mtime.com reported.

    The 36-year-old actress, one of the most sought-after faces in Chinese cinema, said her directorial debut “So Young” is a tribute to her generation.

    “I’d like to devote this film to everyone out there who had a similar youth. It’s a memory shared by those who were born in China between the 1970s and early 1980s,” Zhao said at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday. She added that she expected the film to move audiences to tears.

    “So Young” is about a young woman’s emotional struggle with two men she meets again years after their on-campus love triangle.

    Instead of starring in the film herself, Zhao chose newcomer Yang Zishan to play the lead role. The male lead characters are played by Mark Chao and singer-turned-actor Han Geng.

    Hong Kong Director Stanley Kwan, who is the film’s executive producer, said Zhao was “tough” and could work 30 hours nonstop.

    The film is also the graduation project of Zhao, who is working towards a master’s degree in directing at the Beijing Film Academy.

    Zhao said her professors have spoken highly of her work. “They only watched the rough-cut version, and they gave it 99 out of 100,” she said.(SD-Agencies)