Journey to the West

Journey to the West is a 2021 Chinese film written and directed by Dashan Kong in his feature film debut. The English title is inspired by the 16th century Chinese literary classic of the same name. It had its world premiere at the 5th Pingyao International Film Festival in October 2021, with broader release in 2023. Premise For his entire life, purported UFO sightings have proven false, and TV static in his crumbling apartment has been devoid of any hidden transmissions. Nevertheless, aging Tang Zhijun continues to believe in aliens, doing odd jobs such as lecturing in psychiatric hospitals to be able to afford the publication of his small space-exploration magazine and rented office space in Beijing. After watching a mysterious video online from Sichuan, Tang heads to mountainous Southwestern China to investigate, accompanied by one of his cynical staffers, an alcoholic weatherman, and a woman with insomnia who happens to be the same age as his daughter. The group of misfits eventually meets an eccentric, young poet named Sun Yitong in a remote village who claims to have received instructions from aliens, and decides to follow him on a journey. This story is not one of the fabled Monkey King, but is about an ordinary man's continuous pursuit of UFOs and the human condition of chasing faded love. Production The film was produced on a small budget, and combines genres of soft science fiction, comedy, mystery, and road movies to tell a reimagined story of the Chinese classic, Journey to the West, via a faux-documentary style that eventually gives way to dramatic storytelling. Chinese sci-fi director Frant Gwo served as one of the film's executive producers, helped with its funding, and appears in a minor cameo role.