When distance matters little

[Photo provided to China Daily]

She describes the film as a "heartwarming" story that revolves around the question of how to maintain emotional ties in today's fast-paced societies.

In addition to the couple's somewhat old-school platonic love, the film interweaves dialogues with many ancient Chinese poems, such as the popular lines written by Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poets Li Bai and Wang Changling.

Most of the poem-studded lines are spoken by an old Chinese immigrant in Los Angeles.

Xue explains that the poems are a key measure for the elderly Chinese immigrants to protect their cultural roots.

"Ancient Chinese poems represent the most typical part of Chinese culture. I hope the dialogues don't make young audiences feel alienated, because that's not the intention," she says.

Xue also says the correspondence in the film is to remind viewers of the beauty of handwritten letters, rare items in the era of the internet.