‘On Your Mark’ tackles the complexities of family relationships, the heart-ripping pain of dashed dreams and the value of pushing through adversities.

With stunning cinematography matched only by the riveting performances of award-winning actors Wang Yan Hui and Zhang You Hao, the film is worth a watch whether you’re an ardent sports fan or not.

In the film, Wang plays the role of doting father Xia Da Ming, whose son Xiao Er Dong (Zhang) is obsessed with running a marathon like his mother did.

However, Er Dong’s dreams are dashed when he loses his eyesight to multiple sclerosis, with the film taking a dark turn as it explores the conflict and confusion the men now struggle with while exposing the frailty and strength of the human spirit.

Shot entirely in China, the film topped the China box office on its opening day on June 18. Now, it’s coming to Malaysia.

In an exclusive interview with FMT, Chiu spoke of his passion for filmmaking and shared the challenging but rewarding journey of his first international directorial debut.

“They couldn’t believe that this director came from overseas and was able to direct something very close to the Chongqing people,” he says of the audience’s reaction on learning he was Malaysian.

To capture the very essence of the people there, Chiu stayed in Chongqing in the weeks leading up to filming so he could experience the locals’ lifestyle, even the dialect they spoke, first hand.

Chiu attributes the international debut of ‘On Your Mark’ to ‘Ola Bola’, which caught the attention of a producer from China when it was screened at the Shanghai Film Festival in 2016.

“He was moved by the passion of the Malaysians and how our team achieved their dream,” he says, adding that the producer felt he was the perfect fit for “On Your Mark”.

Surprisingly though, Chiu was hesitant to accept the offer so soon after ‘Ola Bola’.

“But after reading the script for ‘On Your Mark’, I was moved by the story and the father’s love for his son,” Chiu said. “Plus, it helped that it was based on a true story.”

With a budget of RM40 million, it’s Chiu’s biggest film yet.

Still, there was much work to be done before shooting started in December 2019. Besides getting used to directing overseas, Chiu also had to familiarise himself with the heart-pumping world of endurance racing.

“I didn’t even know that a marathon was 42km in terms of distance,” he admitted, laughing.

“I’m very thankful to all the marathon consultants who were by my side every day as we spent a lot of time on the small details like the pacing and how it should look,” he says, adding that he even completed a half-marathon himself just to get a feel of what a race would entail.

While the film beautifully captures Chongqing’s cityscapes and Sichuan’s winter wonderland, getting used to the weather while filming was tough for tropics-loving Chiu.

“Out of the whole team I was the only one wearing three to five layers of clothing,” Chiu says, with a laugh.

“Going from 30 degrees to 0 degrees was quite a change but for the actors it was even more challenging as they had to run in sports singlets and shorts when we shot the scenes,” he explains, remarking how happy he felt on returning to Malaysia, which is “home” to him, a theme explored extensively in the film.

“I wanted to show the love of an Oriental family and that we need to speak up and not keep our love inside,” Chiu says.

“Especially with a father’s love, which can be forgotten. So, we decided to use this storyline of a father and son who is always misunderstood to bring positivity to the screen.”

Feeling beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to live his dream and tell stories for a living, Chiu has this to say to future storytellers.

“Just pick up the camera and shoot whatever you’re passionate about, don’t think too much if the audience will like it. Everything will come once you make a good story so just listen to your heart and make a story you love and the audience will follow you.”

‘On Your Mark’ premiered in China on Father’s Day and now Malaysians can watch the film in their own homes come Aug 26 on Astro Go or Astro On Demand.

And for only RM15, you can watch it over and over again for 48 hours.