Light Pillar
寒夜灯柱
Light Pillar—a breathtaking yet elusive natural phenomenon—lends its name to animator Xu Zao’s debut feature, a poetic animated tale imbued with quiet melancholy and hope.
Set in the near future, where journeys beyond Earth are no longer confined to dreams, the story unfolds during a bleak winter. A once-thriving film studio now teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, its vast grounds buried under snow and stripped of former glory. Zha, a lonely janitor, drifts aimlessly through this frozen landscape, disconnected from both purpose and possibility.
His life takes an unexpected turn when a VR headset—begrudgingly given by his miserly boss—offers him an escape. Within this virtual world, Zha finds comfort, and soon, something more: a mysterious female player who invites him on a romantic journey to the Moon. As their connection deepens, Zha begins to rediscover a sense of meaning. But is this newfound dream within reach, or merely another illusion destined to fade?
Rendered in a distinctive blend of animation and live-action elements, the film unfolds in a cold yet dreamlike atmosphere, laced with humor and quiet absurdity. Both a lament for a fading film industry and a tender love letter, Light Pillar marks an astonishing debut.
XU ZAO
Xu Zao, born in 1991 in Anshan in Northeast of China, is a screenwriter, director, and production designer. He earned a master’s degree from the School of Fine Arts at the Beijing Film Academy. His animated short No Changes Have Taken In Our Life (2023) premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and received multiple awards at festivals such as DOK Leipzig, Image Forum Festival, and Feinaki Beijing Animation Week. His second short, Love Music Friend (2025), competed at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Light Pillar is his debut feature and premiered at the Berlinale 2026 in Perspectives.
Thu Apr 23, 2026 | 18:30
Stadtkino
Red Lotus 2026
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China 2026
90 Min | Color | Chinese with English subtitles
Directed by XU Zao
Screenplay XU Zao Cinematography HAO Jiayue Editing YANG Chao, XU Zao Sound HE Wei Music CHEN Xiaoshu Animation YANG Leiting Compositing ZHU Liya
With DA Peng, QING Yi
World sales Cercamon
Light Pillar © Cercamon