The new film Caravan of Gratitude – which invites audiences to better understand the Chinese values of filial respect through a moving, visually immersive narrative – is set to hit theaters in China next Friday.

Based on a true story, the film follows a pair of brothers who built a homemade 355-kilogram handcart and pushed their mother all the way to Beijing after discovering that she suffered from dizziness when traveling by car or plane. Overjoyed at seeing the capital city's landmark Tian'anmen Square, their mother appeared healthier and happier, inspiring the brothers to continue their journey nationwide.

Over the following 517 days, they traveled more than 600 cities, wearing out 37 pairs of shoes, as the brothers accompanied their mother on a journey to explore the country's beautiful landscapes and landmarks.

At the Beijing premiere this Friday, film director Ma Daishan said that in an era of rapid changes – marked by diverse values among young generations, rising utilitarianism and frequent mobility – filial piety has gradually faded. The film, he noted, connects with contemporary society by bringing filial piety culture vividly into modern daily life, using "emotional value" to bridge generational distance and division.

The film has already received a special award from the organizing committee of the Golden Lotus Awards at the Macau International Movie Festival last December.