The Great Sphinx of Giza lies covered in snow. This isn’t a dark timeline Egypt destroyed by climate collapse, but it is the future and humanity’s cashed-up winners have high-tailed it off-planet, Blade Runner-style. No such luck for janitor Zha (voiced by Da Peng), who’s been left behind to clean up the Old New East West film studios, where the world’s postcard-perfect hotspots are recreated in flimsy fibreboard. As Zha goes about his duties, he ignores his trusty cat in favour of retreating to an unreal world promised by a virtual reality headset and the perhaps false promise of romance. A bright and shiny paradise is captured by the inventive director Xu Zao in striking live-action sequences. As we all wrangle with what matters in our increasingly online world, the astonishingly realised Light Pillar offers us something to hold onto, a timely reminder of the importance of being present. Chinese filmmaker Xu Zao’s stirring animated debut feature debuted at 2026 Berlinale and was nominated for the Perspectives Award for Best First Feature.