The Sun Rises on Us All
| The Sun Rises on Us All | |||||||
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 Chinese theatrical release poster | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 日掛中天 | ||||||
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| Directed by | Cai Shangjun | ||||||
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |||||||
| Cinematography | Kim Hyun-seok | ||||||
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Guo Sida | ||||||
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 131 minutes | ||||||
| Country | China | ||||||
| Language | Mandarin | ||||||
The Sun Rises on Us All (Chinese: 日掛中天, romanized: Rì guà zhōng tiān) is a 2025 Chinese drama film directed by Cai Shangjun, co-written by Han Nianjin and Cai. It follows Meiyun (Xin Zhilei) and Baoshu (Zhang Songwen), a former couple, who meet again years after their separation.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2025, where Xin won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.[1]
Synopsis
[edit]Former lovers Baoshu and Meiyun have estranged after an accident. Seven years later, the man and woman meet again and are confronted with long-forgotten secrets from their past.[2][3]
Cast
[edit]- Xin Zhilei as Meiyun
- Zhang Songwen as Baoshu
- Feng Shaofeng as Qifeng
Production
[edit]
From early 2020, Cai Shangjun began co-writing a movie script with his wife, Han Nianjin, under lockdown in China.[4] While his previous works, People Mountain People Sea (2011) and The Conformist (2017), reflect social problems in contemporary China, Cai Shangjun shifted his focus to the lives of ordinary people, in an effort to address the complexity of emotional experiences.[4][5] The Sun Rises on Us All explores moral dilemma through a story about sacrifice and redemption.[1]
After finishing their first draft, in 2023, Cai began casting actors.[4] Han recommended Xin Zhilei for the role of Meiyun.[4] Cai watched a Chinese adaptation of Prima Facie starring Xin and was impressed by her acting.[4] Seeing Xin on a reality show also made Cai appreciate her candid personality.[4] Yang Chao, the director of Crosscurrent (2016) that starred Xin, shared Xin’s contact information with Cai.[4] Xin read the script immediately after receiving it from Cai and was thrilled by the role of Meiyun.[5] “I must play her,” Xin told Cai, “This is the character that I have always longed for.”[5] Cai then cast Xin as Meiyun.
Cai set his film primarily in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province in South China. Cai liked Guangzhou for its cultural diversity, commenting “Guangzhou was one of the first beneficiaries of China’s economic reform; its close proximity to Hong Kong also made Guangzhou subject to the influence of popular culture of Hong Kong.”[6] Filming began on July 14, 2024. Aside from Guangzhou, filming also took place in Shaoguan and Dongguan, two other cities in Guangdong province.[7] Shaoguan is the native city of Zhang Songwen, who plays Baoshu in the film. The production companies received film production incentives from the government of Guangdong province.[7] The film was shot in a period of 50 days.[4]
Cai worked with South Korean cinematographer Kim Hyun-seok, who previously shot Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry (2010).[6]
Release
[edit]The Sun Rises on Us All was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival,[8] where it had its world premiere on 5 September 2025.[1] It is Cai Shangjun's second invitation to the competition following his film People Mountain People Sea in 2011.
It was also screened at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, the 30th Busan International Film Festival,[9] and the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival.[10]
It was released in China on November 7, 2025.[5]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 12 critics' reviews are positive.[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | 6 September 2025 | Golden Lion | Cai Shangjun | Nominated | [12][13] |
| Volpi Cup for Best Actress | Xin Zhilei | Won | |||
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 27 November 2025 | Best Film | The Sun Rises on Us All | Nominated | [14] |
| Best Performance | Xin Zhilei | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Biennale Cinema 2025 | Ri gua zhong tian (The sun rises on us all)". La Biennale di Venezia. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Guangdong film selected for Venice International Film Festival's main competition for the first time". eguangzhou.gov.cn. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ "日掛中天 (2025)". movie.douban.com. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 王, 诤 (13 September 2025). "独家｜专访导演蔡尚君：芷蕾实至名归，颂文无冕之王". 澎湃新闻. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d 陈, 晨 (25 September 2025). "《日掛中天》国内首映，导演蔡尚君：辛芷蕾的表演堪称伟大". 澎湃新闻. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ a b 陈, 智廷 (4 November 2025). "专访《日掛中天》导演蔡尚君："刀锋锐利，是向善的决绝"". 经济观察网. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ a b 岳, 鸿 (10 October 2025). "《日掛中天》总制片人马双谈厂牌打造：薄荷糖影业会对标A24，但电影衍生产业必须充分本土化". 澎湃新闻. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (22 July 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo Del Toro, Noah Baumbach & Benny Safdie In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (3 September 2025). "Cai Shangjun's 'The Sun Rises on Us All' Unveils First Clip Ahead of Venice, Toronto, Busan Premieres (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (28 September 2025). "Jia Zhangke Talks Pingyao Festival Growth; Expanding China Distribution Slate & Upcoming Road Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ^ "The Sun Rises on Us All". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ Kiang, Jessica; Shafer, Ellise (6 September 2025). "Venice Film Festival Winners: Jim Jarmusch's 'Father Mother Sister Brother' Takes Golden Lion, Benny Safdie Gets Best Director for 'Smashing Machine'". Variety. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ "Toni Servillo, Xin Zhilei win top actors' awards at Venice". Reuters. 6 September 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (15 October 2025). "Asia Pacific Screen Awards: 'Samsara' & Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' Among Leading Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
