After getting attention at a string of international film festivals, director Li Xu's Sunflower in the Dark is scheduled to be released in domestic theaters later this year.

Starring ethnic Mongolian actress Narenhua as a big city resident battling severe illness, the movie depicts her journey back to the remote village where her ex-husband once worked. In her final days, Narenhua's character encounters a shadow puppet performer and a group of children who live with their grandparents while their migrant parents work in cities. The encounters remind her of the warmth and vitality life had when she was young.

Production of the film took four years, from scriptwriting and shooting to postproduction.

Born in 1994, Li, who has a doctorate from the Chinese National Academy of Arts and is now a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy, said the movie employs poetic narration to delve into profound reflections on life and death.

Earlier this year, the film was screened at international events and received a number of accolades, including a Remi bronze award at the 56th World-Fest Houston International Film Festival in the United States, as well as an Audience Award at the 9th Barcelona International Film Festival in Spain.