Dong Zijian explores friendship in directorial debut 'My Friend An Delie'

Actor-director Dong Zijian premiered his film "My Friend An Delie" in Beijing on Saturday, a story about friendship that was seven years in the making.

The cast and crew of "My Friend An Delie" pose for a photo at the film's premiere in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2026. [Photo courtesy of NumeroUs Movie]

Dong directed the film, in which he stars alongside his real-life friend, actor Liu Haoran. It tells the story of two teenagers who form a close bond while navigating adolescence.

The film is adapted from Shuang Xuetao's novel of the same name, with the screenplay written by Dong and Zhang Weizhong. It follows Li Mo (Liu), who returns to his hometown in northeast China for his father's funeral. On the plane, he unexpectedly reunites with An Delie (Dong), an old childhood friend. This encounter rekindles memories of their once-strong friendship, which had faded from Li's memory after an accident. As they reconnect, long-buried memories and the truth begin to resurface.

"When I first met Xuetao, I told him that the novel truly moved me, especially the childhood story of the characters," Dong said at the premiere. "But what I was most curious about was their future, and most of all, who the protagonist in the novel really was. I found the idea of playing a character who masks their own sadness very intriguing and was willing to explore that."

Dong said he and the novelist hit it off immediately, and Shuang agreed to let him adapt it in his own way. During the adaptation process, Dong realized he had also forgotten many things from his own childhood.

"Having worked on it for four years and turning 30 when I finally made the film, it felt like the right time to look back and properly say goodbye to my youth," he said. "That's why I chose to use a psychological, almost dreamlike approach to portray the mental state of the character on this journey of returning home."

Liu said his friendship with Dong spans more than 10 years and that he was among the first to know that Dong wanted to direct. Through their frequent discussions about films, he came to believe Dong had a unique perspective. "Beyond being an actor, he has a more subjective viewpoint when looking at a story," Liu said. "I've always been convinced that he had something special he wanted to express and would bring it out through his first film."

When Dong asked him to star in "My Friend An Delie," Liu immediately agreed. After reading the script, he said he deeply understood the emotional place from which Dong wanted to tell the story, attributing this resonance to their shared age and similar life experiences.

"Throughout the entire creative process, I actually felt I was rediscovering a lot of things," Liu said. "The names, the stories of places — during the entire shoot, even over the three years we were making it, I kept trying hard to find again those memories, friends and places that I might have lost back then. So I believe this film won't just heal many audiences; the first person it healed was me."

Dong got emotional at the premiere. "Haoran is a very good friend of mine. Creating a story about friendship with a friend is a wonderful thing," he said. "From seven years ago until now, Haoran has always encouraged and inspired me in such a positive way."

A still from "My Friend An Delie." [Photo courtesy of Huace Pictures]

Child actor Han Haolin, who plays young An Delie, said he grew up alongside his character during filming. "Looking back now, I understand that the essence of life is about constantly experiencing loss and growth," he said.

Han said the character's "purity" was the most difficult aspect to portray, but also what gives the role its warmth. He expressed hope that the film would inspire viewers to reconnect with friends.

Several industry insiders also attended the premiere and praised the film. Renowned director Jia Zhangke was moved to tears, saying, "The trauma and stories of our generation have been presented in the film. This is a rare and deeply thoughtful movie."

"My Friend An Delie" won best Chinese contribution of the year and best visual effects at the 2024 Hainan Island International Film Festival's Golden Coconut Awards. It also earned the award for best artistic contribution at the Tokyo International Film Festival that year.