Xu Zao's 'Light Pillar' Blends Animation and Live-Action

The feature debut from Chinese writer-director Xu Zao, titled "Light Pillar," is poised for its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month. The film will compete for the best first feature award in the Perspectives section of the 76th Berlinale.

"Light Pillar" intricately combines hand-drawn animation and live-action footage. The narrative centers on a lonely janitor working in a decaying film studio. He becomes engrossed in a virtual romance, a stark contrast to his mundane existence, before his manufactured reality unravels.

As a production crew arrives to film an alien invasion movie, the janitor decides to disappear along with the studio. The film, a romantic sci-fi drama with comedic elements, utilizes its hybrid format to explore themes of loneliness and human connection. Cercamon has secured worldwide distribution rights for this distinctive cinematic work.

Director Xu Zao, who previously garnered acclaim for his animated short "No Changes Have Taken In Our Life," also penned the screenplay and created the storyboards for "Light Pillar." Actor Da Peng takes on the lead role of the janitor and also serves as an executive producer.