iQiyi drama series, To the Wonder, premiered to a packed house at Canneseries festival at the weekend, with show star Yu Shi mobbed by fans after the screening ended. 

To the Wonder is the first Chinese language long-form drama series to be selected in the long-form competition section since the festival’s launch in 2018, and the only Asian title in this year’s competition.

The eight-episode series is competing against seven other dramas from around the world, including Brazil’s Living on a Razor’s Edge and Germany’s The Zweiflers.

To the Wonder is an adaptation of the award-winning essay collection, My Altay, by Chinese essayist, Juan Li. 

Set in Xinjiang’s Altay region, the series “offers a fresh narrative and sensory experience, blending light comedy with Li’s literary aesthetics to explore themes of nature reverence, self-discovery, and the simple yet resilient spirit of the northern Xinjiang herders”, iQiyi said ahead of the premiere in Cannes.

Created by iQiyi founder Yu Gong with  Xiaohu Wang, To the Wonder is a co-production with Ruyi Film and The City Film.  
The series was directed by Congcong Teng (Send Me to the Clouds), who also wrote the script. Talking about the show’s themes, Teng said: “art and love enable humanity to transcend language and national boundaries”.