One grumpy debt collector, two unstoppable kids, and a Chinese New Year miracle nobody saw coming, full of heart.

What begins as a simple debt-collection job soon turns into an unexpected battle for survival. Desperate to recover money he badly needs, Wu forces his way into the home of siblings Li Tinxiu and Li Junlong, hoping their absent father will return and settle his debts. Instead, the children become impossible to intimidate and impossible for Wu to simply walk away from.

Tinxiu tries to earn money by doing her classmates’ homework, while Junlong struggles with bullying at school. When an accident sends the boy to hospital, Wu’s attempt to collect what he is owed takes an absurd turn: he ends up paying for the medical bill. An unlikely bond develops between the three, but when Wu’s creditors finally catch up with him, he disappears.

Then, on Lunar New Year’s Eve, just as the siblings are reunited with their father, Wu unexpectedly returns. When one final confrontation seems inevitable, he makes a choice that changes everything.

Director Steven Zhang Zhonghua makes us laugh and cry in equal measure, helped enormously by the brilliant casting of the siblings and the outstanding performances of the young actors. Tender, funny and deeply human, this Chinese “fairytale” is not to be missed.

Nikolaj Nikitin