Actor Tong Dawei (left) and Hong Kong screen veteran Tony Leung Ka Fai, who play the main roles of the upcoming movie Lost in White, at a promotional event in Beijing.

For the shoot, Leung, 58, preferred to allow himself to be immersed in the cold waters of the lake rather than use cosmetics to create the impression of feeling frozen, in a bid to give the scene a more realistic touch.

"He wanted to give young actors an example of how they should react when they encounter such a tough environment," says Tong.

Meanwhile, Leung says that the tantalizing screenplay called for such sacrifices.

The film also marks the big-screen debut of director Xu Wei, who has moved from being a cinematographer to leading the team.

"I felt huge pressure directing the film," says Xu. "It was especially difficult doing so many bomb explosions and car chases on ice, something uncommon in Chinese films."

However, in spite of his perceived lack of experience, he says the screenplay gave him lots of room to be creative and try out options for the action scenes on ice.

The domestic thriller, which makes an appearance on mainland screens after a considerable absence of such kind of movies here, is a welcome change as the genre has seen a rise in its popularity in recent years thanks to offerings from South Korea.