In the neon-lit streets of Chongqing, Wei desperately searches for his estranged daughter Fa, while Hong Kong gallerist Ren grapples with her ailing stepmother Sabine in Paris. Their lives collide in a virtual reality world, where a mystical deer reveals hidden truths, sparking a journey of discovery and connection.

Through a uniquely structured narrative, the vibrant VR world of LUZ plays host to parallel quests to rekindle familial love. Writer-director Flora Lau skillfully world-builds through dualities: subversive parent-child relationships, the blurred line between cyberspace and the physical, the seamless switch between the neon-flooded Chongqing and the neutral-brushed Paris. Sandrine Pinna and Isabelle Huppert hold a captivating chemistry as daughter and mother, while Xiao Dong Guo excels at depicting a layered, touching paternal longing.

Though there’s an immersive quality to LUZ, Lau deftly refuses a singular, escapist reading of VR’s employment, opting instead to guide us towards technology’s expansive complexity in its relation to art, family, and healing. LUZ is an intellectually substantial, emotionally spectral work, boldly treading new ground.—Cameron Asharian

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 30–February 2) and credentialed press and industry (January 29–February 2).