Wishful thinking

Last year, director Chris Appelhans addressed the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival via a remote link. The director revealed that he traveled to Beijing and Shanghai to interview numerous Chinese people as part of his research for the film.

One of the turning points for the director was when he interviewed three boys as they were walking home from school. Appelhans asked them the same question: "If you had three wishes－and you could have anything－what would you wish for?"

The first boy didn't hesitate, saying that he wished to have a BMW and the second wished for world peace, but the last one thought very hard about the question.

"I could see him really turning it over in his mind," Appelhans recalled at the Shanghai festival. "I almost wanted to tell him that I couldn't actually grant his wish; it was just a hypothetical question, before he finally said: 'I wish that my parents were younger so that I could spend more of my life with them.' That is such an incredibly sweet, deep and thoughtful thing to wish for."

Appelhans adds that the Chinese boy inspired him. And by picturing that boy growing up, facing challenges and pursuing his dreams over the next 10 years in rapidly developing China, he created the film's protagonist, Ding Siqi.

Chan says the new year is a time for optimism and maybe even when some wishes come true. "The last year was quite unusual," he says. "Our wish is that this optimistic and kindhearted character gives audiences some warmth and positive energy to help accompany them into the new year with hope."