Zhan Yakui

On a 1980s evening, the topmost clown-actor of the 20th century Sichuan opera, Qiu Fu passes away in an accident and half-unwillingly sets off for the Ghost City under the escort of two underworld officials. Along the way, he meets old friends. As they recall the past, a history of the living is conjured up.

Set in a park at night during the pandemic, the story follows a gay man who suffers from an intense fear of AIDS. This fear isolates him and prevents him from engaging in sexual relationships, yet he is drawn to the park’s charged atmosphere of desire. The park, a known cruising spot for gay men, becomes a place where he encounters a range of strangers — each searching, escaping, or surrendering in the shadows.

A mysterious young woman appears in the woods and crosses paths with a succession of local figures, including a traveling photographer, a lonely old man, a reckless young punk, and two local policemen. As these encounters ripple through the community, they unearth old local myths, unexpressed traumas, and the hidden, shadowed histories of the residents.