Entertainment
Dong Jie debuts feature film 'Zoom In, Zoom Out' at Venice Critics' Week
The Chinese director's first feature explores modern relationships and digital traces through an in-house developed video game.
The short version
- Chinese director Dong Jie has premiered his debut feature film, 'Zoom In, Zoom Out,' at the Venice Critics' Week.
- The drama centers on a video game designer investigating the disappearance of his roommate through digital archives and an in-game avatar.
- The production team built a custom video game rather than relying on standard visual effects to ground the narrative's virtual elements.
Key facts
- Director Dong Jie's debut feature, 'Zoom In, Zoom Out,' held its international premiere at Venice Critics' Week.[Variety]
- The film stars Sun Yang and Zhao Tian'ai and was produced by Cao Shanshan of Do Something Films.[Variety]
- The plot follows a game designer searching for his missing roommate by analyzing chat logs, memories, and digital avatars alongside the roommate's girlfriend.[Variety]
- Rather than relying on visual effects post-production, the filmmakers created an in-house video game to portray the story's virtual world.[Variety]
- Before directing his first feature, Dong edited films including 'Summer Blur' and 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' and authored a short story collection.[Variety]
What remains uncertain
- Commercial distribution plans and release dates for the film outside the festival circuit have not been announced.[Variety]