A scene from  The Photographer.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Photographer, a forthcoming film that reflects Shenzhen's transformation over the past 40 years, will open across China on Dec 12.

Director Zhang Wei, alongside the cast, attended the opening ceremony which was held in Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.

Inspired by true stories, the film examines the influence of China's reform and opening-up through the perspective of a family of three generations.

As the father struggles to juggle his dream of being an established photographer and his responsibility toward his family, his son demonstrates uses his talent through the then-burgeoning internet industry to create a new photography app.

Director Zhang Wei promotes the upcoming film The Photographer, which will open on Dec 12. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Zhang says that he believes photos are the best means to record the changes in history, and this was his inspiration for the story. The film was shot mostly in Shenzhen, and Huizhou in Guangdong province.

The film marks Zhang’s seventh directorial feature. The Shenzhen native, who is best known for exploring the life of ordinary people in a fast-changing era, saw his film, Factory Boss, win the award for best actor in the main competition of 34th Montreal World Film Festival.

Cast and crew promote The Photographer in Beijing on Dec 4. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]