An early runner in this most competitive of movie seasons, director Diao Yinan's latest offering, The Wild Goose Lake-which is due to open on Dec 6-was one of the most sought-after films at the Rooster festival.

Starring actor Hu Ge and actress Kwai Lun-mei, the story follows a fugitive gangster, who crosses paths with an innocent-looking woman hiding a big secret.

Seeking breakthroughs in their acting careers, Hu and Kwai both prepared extensively for their roles. Hu endured tough training sessions in close-quarters combat, while Kwai lived in a shabby apartment building in a low-income area of Wuhan, Hubei province, to better understand her character, a struggling native of the city.

Diao reveals he found inspiration for his character from a news story about a criminal who called his closest relative and asked her to turn him in to the police.

Recalling the two years it took to write the script, Diao says the movie-which takes on a dark tone with most of the scenes taking place at night-aims to offer an in-depth look at people struggling on the edge of society and their efforts to find dignity and meaning in their lives.