A breathtaking experimental journey that weaves traditional Chinese techniques into mesmerizing animation. Part Buddhist parable, part political satire, the film unfolds in a bleak fantasy world. A magician arrives by hot-air balloon in a kingdom under strict military rule, just before the “Festival of Dreams,” where crowds gathering in the plazas are to be drugged with a powder of forgetfulness. From his prison cell, the magician joins forces with a lonely orphan to shatter the very foundations of reality using a magical atlas. A striking and enigmatic creation by Chinese artist Sun Xun, deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and philosophy, blurring the boundaries between fine art, folklore, and cinema.
