Initially derided by audiences for its poor quality, Niu Lai – a home-made, micro-budget animated feature film – has become a cultural sensation in China, one that is being belatedly championed for its wholesome messaging and lo-fi aesthetics.

Since premiering in cinemas on August 5, the unlikely commercial hit has taken more than 45 million yuan (US$6.7 million) at the box office and inspired a stream of memes online – as well as a wide range of unlicensed merchandise – in a grass-roots phenomenon that nobody could have predicted.

Written and directed by first-time animator Xin Yumeng and his 60-year-old mother, Sun Lifang, Niu Lai tells the story of the eponymous young ox calf, who cannot walk. After befriending a skylark, the timid calf slips into a dream, where he stands up on his hind legs and embarks on a formative journey.

Read my full South China Morning Post feature here