Cai Shangjun delves into redemption and dilemma in "The Sun Rises on Us All"

Director Cai Shangjun discusses his award-winning drama "The Sun Rises on Us All," with China.org.cn. The film explores the ordinary moral and emotional choices.

A still from "The Sun Rises on Us All." [Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Mint Pictures]

"The Sun Rises on Us All," starring Xin Zhilei, Zhang Songwen, and Feng Shaofeng, tells a poignant story of redemption, loyalty, and love. The film follows a woman who unexpectedly encounters her ex-boyfriend years after he served a prison sentence for a hit-and-run accident she caused. Now terminally ill and destitute, he reenters her life just as she has moved on to a new relationship. Her decision to care for him as atonement reawakens long-buried emotions, culminating in a devastating climax before they must part ways once more.

Cai's wife, Han Nianjin, also a screenplay writer, co-wrote the script with him, marking a significant shift in their creative focus. As Cai explained, they consciously moved away from grand dramatic plot twists, instead focusing on everyday life and subtle human feeling.

"We selected fragments of daily life, seemingly casual ones," he said. "They mostly come from the subtle moments of changes in people's perceptions and thoughts, flowing naturally to drive the narrative. So we didn't seek overly novel or completely unique stories; instead, everything is rooted in everyday life."

Han also noticed actor Xin Zhilei starring in the Chinese version of the classic stage drama "Prima Facie" and felt her strength and capabilities, so she recommended Xin to her husband. Xin's performances, daily appearances and interviews impressed Cai. He believes her to be perfect for the role in his film. Both Han and Cai were proven right with Xin and "The Sun Rises on Us All" earning best actress award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

"We were truly thrilled, it's not easy to win an acting award there, especially facing so many strong competitors," Cai recalled. "After the ceremony, jury members approached me and said that despite their diverse cultural backgrounds, they had reached a unanimous decision. The best actress award had to go to Xin. They believe hers was the finest performance by an actress at the Venice Film Festival in the past decade."

Before this project, Cai directed two other features, "People Mountain People Sea" (2011) and "The Conformist" (2017). Both films depict ordinary individuals caught in powerful social currents.

Reflecting on the period after 2017, Cai observed how China's rapid development had fundamentally reshaped both society and public consciousness. As a creator, he made a conscious choice to focus on exploring the inner life of Chinese people navigating what he described as this era of tremendous transformation.

He shifted his focus from critiquing external society to exploring the inner human heart. "The Sun Rises on Us All" examines the emotional and moral dilemmas of ordinary people in daily life. While everyone faces different circumstances and each individual remains uniquely vivid, the feelings these predicaments evoke are universally shared. Cai Shangjun emphasized his filmmaking principle "treating weighty themes with a light touch, and giving weight to seemingly light moments." He explained that during the creative process, he never overlooks seemingly minor or fleeting moments in a film, as "only this approach ensures excellence in every moment."

From left to right, producer Ma Shuang, actors Zhang Songwen, Xin Zilei and director Cai Shangjun, pose for a photo at the premiere of "The Sun Rises on Us All" in Beijing, Nov. 5, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Wishart Media]

Cai hopes "The Sun Rises on Us All" can serve as a trigger for change in viewers' own lives, saying "the true challenge is to shift our perspective. Can we uncover new meaning in ordinary moments? Can we recognize those pivotal instances that may ultimately alter life's course? When looking back on life's turning points, we shall realize how a single misspoken word or different decision might have led us to an entirely different path."

With such a creative philosophy, this reflective film asks each audience member to pause, listen, and decide again, so that even a tiny change in perspective can steer life toward a clearer, more purposeful direction.