Hidden challenges

Yi Li from the school of psychological and cognitive sciences at Peking University estimates there's one child with autism in every 142 children in China, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States estimated that in 2020 one child in 54 have autism in the US. Boys are four more times likely to have it than girls.

However, social awareness does not necessarily translate into a cohesive societal approach.

Having acquainted himself with a family dealing with autism, film director Fan Chao took up the topic in 2018.

Before shooting, he visited many public and private charity groups to speak to patients and families.

Just like Xiaobei who has just divorced and has to take care of Kangjian alone, many families split because of the pressure.

Moreover, a sense of stigma is often associated with such families and their appreciation of Fan's efforts to highlight their plight is clearly evident.

Cheng Kai, vice-president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, says the movie is of great significance in promoting social understanding.