Latest feature Films
Light Pillar
Set in the nottoo- distant future, janitor Zha is busy maintaining an abandoned film studio with the help of his cat. He escapes this bleak reality by increasingly immersing himself in a virtual world. Combining laconic humour and low-res, live-action footage, Zao Xu’s feature-film debut tells a story of loneliness and unfulfilled desires.
As various buildings gradually fall into decline, Zha becomes progressively lost in a virtual world where desires become tangible and memories come to life. Yet the more appealing this digital refuge appears, the more the boundaries between reality and illusion begin to blur. With laconic humour and a keen insight into the melancholy of everyday life, “Light Pillar” takes a closer look at loneliness, the longing for connection and the question of what will remain of cinema – and of us – as reality is increasingly replaced by virtual worlds.
“Light Pillar” is Chinese director Zao Xu’s feature-film debut. The unconventional fusion of low-res, live-action footage, digital imagery and animated sequences creates an aesthetic that is as prosaic as it is poetic. Set against the backdrop of an abandoned film studio, the film reflects on cinema as a place of memory and on the ever-growing allure of virtual realities.
“Light Pillar” celebrated its world premiere at the 2026 Berlinale and is a meditation on loss, nostalgia and the power of the imagination that is as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking. (Xenia Nguyen)
As various buildings gradually fall into decline, Zha becomes progressively lost in a virtual world where desires become tangible and memories come to life. Yet the more appealing this digital refuge appears, the more the boundaries between reality and illusion begin to blur. With laconic humour and a keen insight into the melancholy of everyday life, “Light Pillar” takes a closer look at loneliness, the longing for connection and the question of what will remain of cinema – and of us – as reality is increasingly replaced by virtual worlds.
“Light Pillar” is Chinese director Zao Xu’s feature-film debut. The unconventional fusion of low-res, live-action footage, digital imagery and animated sequences creates an aesthetic that is as prosaic as it is poetic. Set against the backdrop of an abandoned film studio, the film reflects on cinema as a place of memory and on the ever-growing allure of virtual realities.
“Light Pillar” celebrated its world premiere at the 2026 Berlinale and is a meditation on loss, nostalgia and the power of the imagination that is as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking. (Xenia Nguyen)
Info
Duration 90'
Country CN, 2026