“THE Shadowless Tower,” one of two Chinese-language films competing for top awards at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, recently held its global premiere in Berlin, marking veteran director Zhang Lu’s third return to the event.

In a quiet corner of Beijing, a white pagoda looms large in Zhang’s latest film.

As the title hints, it casts no shadow whatever the time of day, and it’s frequently to be found in the background of the frames of this contemporary story about love, forgiveness, and parenthood.

The 144-minute movie, starring actor Xin Baiqing and actress Huang Yao, was filmed on location in the streets and architecture surrounding the iconic White Pagoda located inside the Miao-ying Temple in downtown Beijing.

Xin plays Gu Wentong, a food critic who is divorced and entrusts his daughter’s care to his sister. Gu had a troubled childhood, with his father (director-actor Tian Zhuangzhuang) leaving the family when he was just 5.

Gu discovers that his father now resides in a seaside town approximately 300 km from Beijing and struggles to reconnect with him. He’s also dealing with relationship issues with Ouyang (Huang), a spirited — and much younger — photographer. All of these challenges prompt Gu to reconsider his roles as a father, son and lover.

As Gu later says, “the deeper you examine your soul, the more you’ll change,” and in many ways, “The Shadowless Tower” is about looking inward to find growth.

During a news conference at the Berlin festival, Zhang discussed the Chinese elements featured in the movie, highlighting the significance of the White Pagoda in the urban context of Beijing. He explained the basic colors of the city are gray and a majestic brownish-red, and a white tower stands out in this context, allowing people to imagine many things.

Six Chinese features premiere at the year’s first major film festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, including two in competition (Liu Jian’s animated film “Art College 1984” and “The Shadowless Tower”) — along with one Chinese series (iQIYI’s “Why Try to Change Me Now,” by Zhang Dalei, winner of the 2021 Berlin Silver Bear for short films). Festival regulars believe it to be Berlin’s largest selection of Chinese films to date.(China Daily)