In early 20th-century Beijing, a young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun teams up with an Englishman who introduces him to the magic of cinema. As they open a theater, Liu's enthusiasm for the new technology clashes with traditional values and his father's expectations, while he also falls for the daughter of a prominent opera star. With the opportunity to show their films to the Empress Dowager, Liu's ambitions seem within reach, but disaster lurks in the shadows.
Shadow Magic
In early 20th-century Beijing, a visionary photographer forms an unlikely friendship with an Englishman, who introduces him to the revolutionary world of film, including a projector, camera, and the pioneering work of the Lumière brothers.
