"Wangdrak's rain boots" which will be released on July 19 in China is the summer's only domestic children's film. It premiered at the 68th Berlin international film festival last year and has already received good reviews. As this is "summer blockbuster" movie season, "Wangdrak's rain boots" is up against a lot of competition, not least from Disney's "The Lion King" remake, but will it have commercial success?
A story about a little boy
This movie adapted from the novel of the same name, is about a young boy in the Chinese village of Wangdrak who earnestly longs for a pair of rain boots so he can walk to school during the rainy season. His classmates all have their own rand they laugh at him about it.
Three pair of rain boots. /VCG Photo
The director of this film, Lhapal Gyal, said the film depicts the simple wishes of children and that he had a similar experience when he was little: "A dream could be so simple as to wait for the advent of a rainfall."
The future of children's cinema in China
This sympathetic experience that Lhapal described is one that every child has experienced.
Some children want a new notebook, others want a pet dog, children of different ages desire different things. But despite differences, children's simple and stubborn expectations are linked.
Film and photography enthusiasts. /VCG Photo
With the development of the Chinese film industry, children's cinema is increasingly popular. According to the China Children's Film Association, the production of children's films accounted for 10 percent of domestic films from 2002 to 2014, but few of these have really impressed audiences.
Most children's films released in China are imported films. This summer, "Toy Story 4" and "The Lion King" have been wildly popular, but domestic films such as "Wangdrak's Rain Boots" find it difficult to gain more attention.
Why is Disney successful?
Although the overall performance of the global film market was bleak this year, Disney still earned more than nine billion dollars worldwide. But what makes their children's film different from others?
Disneyland in Shanghai. /VCG Photo
People who grew up watching Disney movies, will still watch Disney as adults and their nostalgia plays an important role in the company's success. Disney shows us that children's films are not just for children, but also for those adults with - or looking to recapture - childlike innocence. The success of Disney reflects that audiences of all ages can love the same films. For China's children's films, be it "Wangdrak's Rain Boots" or others, they must also appeal to parents as well as their children.
Cover image designer: li Yueyun