Berlin International Film Festival 2026 | Toronto International Film Festival 2026 | Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2026
In the future, space travel has become common. Zha, a lonely cleaner, looks after the grounds of an old film studio that has gone bankrupt. He begins a romantic relationship with a woman he meets in a beautiful virtual world. After a few dates, she invites him to travel to the Moon. Zha works extra hours to pay for the trip, but discovers that his ticket is invalid. As the studio prepares to close, a film crew arrives to shoot a movie, using the studio’s destruction for its final scene. On the day of filming, Zha decides to stay behind and disappear with the world he knows.
Born in 1991 in Anshan, China, Xu Zao is a screenwriter, director and production designer with a master’s degree from Beijing Film Academy. His award-winning animated short No Changes Have Taken In Our Life premiered at IFFR. Light Pillar is his debut feature.
Cercamon
