During the premiere of his upcoming film Papa in Beijing on Tuesday, director and scriptwriter Su Liang revealed that he had "infiltrated" parents in search of realistic details for the movie during school breaks.

With veteran actor Huang Bo serving as lead actor and executive producer, the film tells the story of a single father who goes to great lengths to purchase a supposedly haunted house for a great deal of money just to ensure his child a place at a top-ranking school. The house comes with a tragic history, and was where a family of three died from gas poisoning. Unfortunately for the father, a sudden change to policy means the house no longer lies within the school's catchment area, which leads to a series of comical and absurd events.

In addition to the main protagonist, the film features three other families, each of whom are dealing with their own education-related concerns and stresses, which are typical of many parents in China.

Su said that he often talked to parents in neighborhoods and by school entrances to collect firsthand material. Through these interactions, he discovered that parents nowadays face tremendous challenges, and make great sacrifices for the sake of their children's education.

The movie, which also stars child actor Shan Yuhao and actresses Yan Ni and Janine Chang Chun-ning, goes on national release on Aug 18.