On the afternoon of November 9, 2025, warm sentiments filled Chongqing UME International Cinema (Aijia Xingyuehui Branch). Following the successful premiere ceremony held in Chengdu on the 8th, the public-welfare film Changier arrived in the Mountain City as scheduled, building a luminous bridge of light and shadow between the Chengdu–Chongqing twin cities in the name of “love.” That day, the atmosphere was enthusiastic, as caring individuals from all sectors of society—media representatives, students, parents, and members of the public—gathered to witness this realistic and pioneering work, China’s first film focusing on adolescent HIV/AIDS prevention, warmly “lighting up” the city of Chongqing.

As the ending song slowly began to play and the lights gradually came up, many viewers remained quietly seated, visibly moved, their eyes moist with tears. Some gently wiped away their tears, while others spoke softly to one another about the emotions the film had stirred in them. A mother of 17-year-old twins was especially emotional. Fighting back tears, she said: “‘If you want to protect your own children, you must protect all children’—this line touched me deeply. With the current HIV/AIDS prevention situation being so serious, I truly appreciate this film. It feels like a timely rain, helping us better understand HIV/AIDS and teaching us how to protect ourselves and the people around us.” Her words reflected the shared feelings of numerous audience members and allowed us to clearly see the social value and real-life significance embodied in this work.

In her address, Gao Shuqun, Honorary Chairperson of the Beijing Changier Education Foundation, stated that the film Changier takes HIV/AIDS as its background and, through warm and truthful storytelling, portrays the support offered by families, schools, and society to the growth of adolescents. She emphasized that the film goes beyond merely presenting illness, delving into the inner core of the family, highlighting the greatness of humanity, and conveying the enduring power of love and hope.

The film tells a deeply moving story of barriers, truth, and reconciliation. Ji Jie (played by Li Ningyuan), who lost his mother at a young age, grows up emotionally distant from his father, Ji Shisan (played by Xiang Neng). It is not until Shen Kun (played by Zhou Xiaoyi) appears that long-buried family secrets are finally revealed—Ji Jie’s mother, Du Chumei (Ellie), passed away due to HIV/AIDS, while Ji Jie himself was fortunate to grow up healthy through the use of mother-to-child transmission prevention technology. This dramatic turning point in the family’s fate serves not only as the central narrative thread of the film, but also as a vivid reflection of the historic strides China has made in HIV/AIDS prevention and control efforts over the past decades.

At the premiere ceremony, the film’s producer, screenwriter and director Xiang Kai, Executive Director Li Yanjun, and members of the cast and creative team—including Xiang Neng, Ren Mingsong, Li Ningyuan, Zhou Xiaoyi, and other key contributors—made a full appearance. They interacted warmly with the audience and shared stories and reflections from behind the scenes of the filmmaking process.

Xiang Kai remarked: “I hope more people will watch this film and pay attention to the HIV/AIDS community. It is especially important that adolescents learn how to protect themselves.” He called on society to eliminate discrimination, expressing the wish that “through the power of cinema, scientific understanding can replace prejudice, and care and compassion can dissolve barriers.”

Chongqing-born actor Xiang Neng also spoke emotionally: “After being away from my hometown for 40 years, bringing back a public-welfare work with genuine social significance fills me with deep emotion.” He added that what made the experience even more meaningful was his daughter’s participation in the film. “Our whole family devoted ourselves to public welfare and used the camera lens to convey the strength of protection and warmth. This journey has been both unique and profoundly significant.”

In the film, the father Ji Shisan takes on the heavy responsibility of supporting his family, transforming into an unlicensed ride-share driver who navigates the streets of the city. The mother Du Chumei leaves behind handwritten letters that travel through time to convey profound motherly love. Their close friend “Aunt Thirteen” (played by Ren Mingsong) quietly continues to safeguard a broken family. Changier Project volunteer Chunni (played by Wang Chunzi) delivers medicine and warmth without fail, rain or shine. The university homeroom teacher (played by Wang Jinsong) passes on scientific knowledge in the classroom. Together, these ordinary yet resilient characters connect the trajectory of HIV/AIDS prevention education for Chinese youth over the past decades, forming a series of deeply moving portraits of social support and humanistic care.

The premiere event received unanimous praise. Audiences commonly remarked that the film “broke through the traditional taboos of subject matter, featured ingenious writing and numerous carefully placed foreshadowing, and enabled the transmission of HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge to feel natural, profound, and deeply moving.”

Although the Chongqing premiere of Changier has come to a warm conclusion, the love and hope it conveys will not fade away. This film will live on like a warm seed, taking root and sprouting in the hearts of more people, encouraging society as a whole to pay closer attention to adolescent health, and allowing science, understanding, and compassion to replace prejudice and illuminate broader horizons in everyday life.

The Chongqing Huayan Cultural and Educational Foundation, Beijing Qianjing Li’ao Technology Co., Ltd., Chongqing Tianjiao Engineering Project Management Co., Ltd., and Chongqing Tianjiao Supervision Co., Ltd. provided strong support for the premiere event.