Man reunited with abducted son after 24 years: Andy Lau, who played the dad in 2015 movie, responds

In 2014, superstar Andy Lau took on the lead role in a Hong Kong-Chinese movie for free. His company reportedly even forked out its own funds when the post-production work exceeded its budget.

"If [the film] is going to lose money, let's all lose together," he allegedly said at that time.

In Lost and Love, inspired by the life of a Shandong man Guo Gangtang, Andy played a devoted father who travels all across China on his motorcycle for 15 years looking for his son who was abducted at age two.

Andy's film raised awareness of the tragedy that befell the Guo family as well as many others in China who had lost their children to human traffickers. In those years, Guo travelled over 500,000 km, damaging 10 motorbikes and helping seven families reunite with their lost children through a website he created.

The movie did very well at the box office when it was released in 2015, but the greatest reward arrived only in the last few days.

On July 11, it was announced that Guo's long-lost son Xinzhen has been found after 24 years. A DNA test confirmed the happy news.

"Today is a very important day for me," Guo said in a social media post.

The family was reunited in a ceremony that day, and a photo released by the Chinese authorities on July 13 showed Guo and his wife in tears as they hugged their son, now a tall and sturdy 26-year-old.

The touching news reached Andy, and a video of the 59-year-old giving a statement was released.

"I came to know of Brother Guo because of the movie Lost and Love. I feel extremely happy and inspired today because Brother Guo's son has finally reunited with his parents after 24 years with the effort of the Chinese authorities," Andy said.

"I want to tell Brother Guo that I admire his perseverance, and to also thank the authorities for their years of hard work. I hope everyone can join me to support anti-human trafficking, and that more distraught families can be reunited soon."

Chinese news outlet Xinhua added that a man and a woman have been arrested in relation to the abduction and investigations are currently underway.

Lost and Love director Peng Sanyuan reportedly said Xinzhen was raised in an area not too far off from where Guo lived. Thankfully, he added, the boy grew up well.

He also told reporters: "There are a few events in your life that bring great happiness: coming out top in the school exams, your wedding night, meeting old friends far away from home, and a wish finally being granted.

"I felt exactly that when I heard the news. I'm especially happy for Guo Gangtang because 24 years were too long and he wasn't able to do much else in his life."

ALSO READ: Woman in China accused of brazen attempt to kidnap child by claiming him as her own

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com