A LAST LULLABY [in posT]
(2026)dir./prod. LILLY ZHUANG
Original Title: 戏梦未醒 [xì mèng wèixǐng]
Country: United Kingdom and China
[CREATIVE DOCUMENTARY]
A LAST LULLABY follows former theatre performers – now in their twilight years – as they remember their lives at the Han opera house in Guanghan, China. Forced to retire in the early 1980s when they were at the height of their career, the characters ponder an existential loss and grief. As the filmmaker’s mother and grandfather work to reunite their old troupe family for a final performance, we encounter its members in their own homes, reflecting on their youth spent on and around the stage.
“Years after their opera house was forced to close down, the filmmaker's mother and grandfather reunite their former Chinese theatre troupe for one last performance.”
more info below
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Shooting format: Digital
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Resolution: 4K
Audio format: stereo and 5.1 mix available
Length: 36 minutes 37 seconds
Subtitles available: English
A film by: LILLY ZHUANG
Editing: LILLY ZHUANG
Cinematography: LILLY ZHUANG
Executive Producer: LU LUO, LUO JINHUA
Sound Design: LILLY ZHUANG
Color Grading: PATRICK LYMAN
Sound Recording: LILLY ZHUANG
Additional Sound Recording: MING XIAO
Production Assistant: ZHANG YILAN
Cast: CHEN KAIFU, LI ZHIHUA, LIAO SHIYONG, LU LUO, LUO JINHUA, PANG JIALIN, YANG WENHUI
UNIT II [SILO/STAGE]
Cinematography: LILLY ZHUANG
1AC: LUO QIANG
Grip: SHAO TAO
Gaffer: FANG SHIHUA
Spark: JING YUPENG
Sound Recordist: SU ZHENJIE
Production Assistants & Runners: LI XIAHONG, CHEN YAN, WANG JIAFENG, LI ZHAOGANG
MUSICIANS
Erhu: NI YUQING
Jinghu #1 & Musical Director: PANG JIALIN
Jinghu #2: MO KAIBING
Drum Master: ZHOU GUOCAI
Percussion: WANG ZHIZHONG, LIAO MINGLUN
SECOND ENTRY INTO THE PALACE (Chuan Opera Rendition)
LI ZHIHUA as Consort Liyan
MONK JIGONG RETURNS HOME (Chuan Opera Rendition)
PANG JIALIN as the Mad Monk Jigong
CHEN KAIFU as Monk 1
LIAO SHIYONG as Monk 2
ZHU FUYING as Choir/Background Vocalist
JUDGE BAO EXECUTES HIS NEPHEW (Han Opera Rendition)
CHEN KAIFU as The Honourable Judge Bao
THE HEGEMON-KING BIDS HIS LADY FAREWELL (Chuan Opera Rendition)
LI ZHIHUA as Consort Yu
LIAO SHIYONG as Hegemon-King Xiang Yu
Special thanks to:
LI SHUHUA, SUN LULIN, MO CHUAN OPERA TROUPE, TOSIN ADEGOKE, MAEVE BRENNAN, SOPHIE FIENNES, GRANT GEE, LUCY HARRIS, EDWARD LAWRENSON, PATRICK LYMAN, KATHERINE PEDDICORD, PETE RESTRICK, WILLOW SENIOR, WANG TIANYU, XIAO MING, ZHONG FUYU, ZHOU SHUHAN, ZHU JIAYUE, HONG-YI ZHUANG, TIM ZHUANG