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Han ye deng zhu

Light Pillar
Perspectives 2026
© Fengduan Pictures
The future. Winter. Space travel is no longer a dream. A once-thriving film studio faces bankruptcy. The enormous compound, with structures ranging from the Great Sphinx of Giza to the Forbidden City, is now completely covered in snow and stripped of its former glory. Zha, a lonely janitor, tends to this forgotten place, with only a cat that used to perform in films for company. Running out of money, the studio owner gives him a VR headset as partial compensation. Zha is immediately drawn into the virtual world and embarks on a romantic journey with a female player who invites him on a trip to the moon. Meanwhile, the studio, which is about to close permanently, is temporarily brought back to life when a film crew arrives to shoot an alien invasion movie on the expansive backlot – with the studio’s actual destruction slated to be shot as the movie’s final showdown.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Xu Zao (Director, Screenplay)
with Da Peng, Qing Yi People’s Republic of China 2026 Mandarin 90' Colour World premiere | Debut film | Animation

With

  • Da Peng (Lao Zha)
  • Qing Yi (Female Player)

Crew

Director Xu Zao
Screenplay Xu Zao
Cinematography Hao Jiayue
Editing Yang Chao, Xu Zao
Music Chen Xiaoshu
Sound Design He Wei
Make-Up Li Jinping
Art Director Xu Zao
Animation Yang Leiting
Producer Lu Xiaowei
Executive Producer Da Peng
Co-Producers Huang Yue, Shen Hancheng, Fu Xintong

Produced by

Fengduan Pictures

Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Co-produced by

La Fonte

Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

World Sales

Cercamon

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Photos

Xu Zao

Born in Anshan, Liaoning Province, China in 1991, the screenwriter, director and production designer studied at the Beijing Film Academy. His animated short No Changes Have Taken In Our Life premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and won multiple national and international awards. His second short, Love Music Friend, screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Han ye deng zhu is his debut feature film.

Filmography

2023 Hai Nei Yang (No Changes Haven Taken In Our Life); medium-length film, Animation 2025 Xin De Sheng Huo (Love Music Friend); short film, Animation 2026 Han ye deng zhu (Light Pillar); Animation

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026