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Dubai-based sales company Cercamon has acquired worldwide rights to “Light Pillar,” the feature debut from Chinese writer-director Xu Zao, ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month.
The Chinese production will screen in competition for the best first feature award in the Perspectives strand at the 76th Berlinale, where it’s expected to attract attention for its hybrid format that blends animation with live-action footage.
“Light Pillar” follows a solitary janitor working in a deteriorating film studio who becomes absorbed in a virtual romance before his illusion collapses. When a production crew arrives to film an alien invasion movie on the crumbling backlot, the janitor decides to vanish alongside the studio itself.
The genre-crossing romantic sci-fi drama with touches of comedy employs hand-drawn animation to portray the protagonist’s mundane reality while live-action sequences depict the alluring virtual realm where he escapes.
Sébastien Chesneau, who founded Cercamon, said: “‘Light Pillar’ is one of those rare films that immediately stood out for its originality and emotional impact. Xu Zao’s vision of blending animation and live action is not just visually stunning but also serves a deeply moving story about loneliness and human connection. We are thrilled to bring this unique debut to the world. It’s a film that truly resonates on both an artistic and emotional level.”
Producer Lu Xiaowei added: “Working with Xu Zao on his first feature has been an inspiring journey. He poured immense creative ambition into ‘Light Pillar,’ especially in how he blurs the line between reality and the virtual world on screen. The result is a film that’s visually daring and emotionally heartfelt. We’re proud of what we achieved and delighted to have Cercamon on board to share this one-of-a-kind experience with audiences everywhere.”
Da Peng stars as the janitor and serves as executive producer on the film, which Lu produces.
Xu holds a master’s degree from the Beijing Film Academy’s School of Fine Art. His 43-minute animated work “No Changes Have Taken In Our Life” premiered at Rotterdam in 2023 and collected the Golden Dove for animated film at DOK Leipzig plus the Grand Prize at Japan’s Image Forum Festival. Beyond directing, Xu also wrote the screenplay and created the storyboards for “Light Pillar.”
English (US) ·