Chinese parents search for their abducted son in an emotionally charged, dynamically acted drama with a surprising twist.

The topical issue of child abduction in China forms the basis for the new work by Peter Ho-sun Chan (Perhaps Love, MIFF 2006), who explores the complexities of parental angst and revenge with unexpected results.

Based on a real-life story, Dearest follows divorced couple Tian Wen-Jun (Huang Bo) and Lu Xiao-juan (Hao Lei), whose lives are shattered when their young son is snatched by kidnappers from the streets of Shenzen. The parents' desperate, often frustrating search, complicated by the grim realities of China's social injustice, is dramatically engaging but the film's unusual shift of gears into the aftermath of events – driven by some terrific performances, including Zhao Wei's Hong Kong Film Award-winning turn as the abductor's widow – is even more moving.

"Manages to place the audience on a precarious emotional tightrope." – CineVue