International Festival Premiere | In Competition | White Mulberry Award Candidate
China, 2026, 121’, Mandarin
Directed by: Li Taiyan
Screenplay: Li Taiyan, Lv Zhuo
Cinematography (color): Fan Chao
Editing: Cao Weijie
Production Design: Li Chang
Costume Design: Yan Zi
Action Director: Lv Shijia
Visual Effects Supervisor: Zhang Yu, Wang An
Music: A Kun
Chief Producers: Shan Jingxi, Gao Shang
Producers: Wu Yifeng, Yin Chao, Zhang Huixia, Wang Haoyou
Co-Producer: Han Gaoyan
Executive Producer: Han Sanping
Production Companies: Wuhan Legendary People Film & Tv Art Co., Ltd., China Film Group, Xiao Xiang Pictures Co., Ltd.
Cast: Jackie Chan (Ren Jiqing), Peng Yuchan (Zhong Bufan), Zhang Jianing (Su Xiaoyue), Pan Binlong (Mr. Jia), Li Ping (Jin Zhengu)
Date of First Release in Territory: January 1st, 2026
The versatility of a seasoned performer like Jackie Chan is put to the test in
Unexpected Family. In this film, he finds himself playing an unusual role: that of Papa Ren, a former weightlifting coach who is now elderly and afflicted by senile dementia. The film is a bittersweet comedy, lively and entertaining, especially the first half which light-heartedly portrays an atypical family, born not from blood ties but from chance encounters and shared necessities.
This is Li Taiyan’s (a.k.a. Tai) first feature film. He previously enjoyed success with short films and documentaries. The film is centred around Papa Ren, a man who is at once loved, respected, feared, and endured by a human microcosm that is as unlikely as it is cohesive. Orbiting around Papa Ren are Zhong Bufan, a young man who has arrived in Wuhan from the countryside in search of fortune and a place to bury his grandmother’s ashes; Mr. Jia, a small businessman in the auto repair sector, bound to Ren by a debt of gratitude rooted in a murky past; Su Xiaoyue, an employee in a pharmaceutical company, trapped in an oppressive family relationship that reduces her to being mere financial support for her mother; and finally Li Ping, a middle-aged neighbour, affectionate toward everyone and secretly in love with Ren, a feeling he pretends not to see.
The fragile balance of this unlikely family cracks and at the same time strengthens when Zhong Bufan, who rents a room in Papa Ren’s apartment (the other is already occupied by Su Xiaoyue), is mistaken by Ren for his son, who disappeared years earlier after winning a world weightlifting title under his father’s guidance. This misunderstanding triggers a series of hilarious gags, fuelled by alternating states of lucidity and confusion in the old man’s mind, and by the others’ attempts either to take advantage of his moments of weakness or to play along with his illusions in order to preserve his peace of mind.
In the second half of the film, the tone gradually shifts toward melodrama: secrets buried in Ren’s past emerge, and painful memories resurface, leading to a tear-jerking finale.
As stated by the director-screenwriter, the work stems from a personal experience: his relationship with his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s and no longer recognised him. His stated aim is to raise public awareness about a condition that currently affects 17 million people in China. At the same time, the film seems to convey a universal message: in a world dominated by distrust, only kindness and empathy toward others can still bring about profound transformations.
Unexpected Family has a well-balanced cast and a script that skilfully blends humour and pathos, but the true soul of the film remains Jackie Chan’s performance. Far removed from the action sequences that have defined much of his career, the actor delivers a powerful demonstration of his craft, convincingly embodying the fragility and complexity of a man lost within his own memory.
In a moving article published in a local newspaper, Chan spoke of how the role of Papa Chen resonated with him on a deeply personal level, connected to memories of his mother and her experience with Alzheimer’s. Initially hesitant in the face of such a demanding character, he ultimately accepted the role, finding in it a way to reconnect with his mother through memory. The result is a performance that reveals a side of the actor previously little explored, one for which we as viewers can only be grateful.
Li Taiyan
Li Taiyan (a.k.a. Tai), director and screenwriter, is a member of the China Film Association. He first established his reputation through a series of acclaimed short films. In 2015, his short film It Seems Like an Old Friend won the Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards at the 7th British International Film Festival. In 2016, his first documentary, A Thousand-Year Promise, participated in the 40th Montreal International Film Festival and the 41st Toronto International Film Festival, and won the Best Documentary Award at the Hollywood International Film Festival. As of February 2025, as one of the members of the Art Committee of Xiaoxiang Film Group, Tai is committed to promoting the development of Hunan film creations.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
2026 – Unexpected Family