Wonder Dad
The film, by Wieden & Kennedy Shanghai, was made for Father’s Day and illustrates the struggle for work-life balance in modern China, where the middle class has to balance new and traditional responsibilities. The father in question, played by Chinese movie star Mark Zhao, is struggling to balance being there for his son with his high pressure business job. Little boy imagines his father as battling baddies in order to get home from work and away from the influence of a “dark queen” played by Song Jia, who’s actually his father’s sympathetic female boss and a powerful example of a modern Chinese businesswoman. In his stories, which play out on screen, the imaginary superhero version of his dad defeats Kung Fu fighters and evil kidnappers in his BMW X3 in order to get out of boring meetings and home to his son. The story culminates with the father arriving just in time for a school play in which the little boy explains why his dad is his superhero.
Film Poster:
Director: Martin Werner
Cinematographer: Daniel Voldheim
Cast: Mark Zhao, Song Jia
Production Company: Loft Films
Year: 2018
Category: Narrative