Animafest Zagreb Review: Light Pillar is an elegiac and ironic ode to all the lonely people
For some people, the digital and virtual worlds they inhabit feel more real than the real world. Whether it's social media platforms, online forums, virtual reality worlds, or video games, sometimes the layer of anonymity emboldens people to live more openly and honestly than they can in their day-to-day lives. In Light Pillar , it certainly feels that way for Lao Zha, who works as a janitor at a derelict film studio. It's winter, and the studio lot's sprawling grounds, which include everything from a hilltop lighthouse to a massive replica of the Sphinx (the employee break room is in its rear), are covered in snow. Lao Zha, along with his coworkers, spend their days shoveling, doing repairs, and trying to keep the place in some sort of shape. Not that it's doing much to help business. When he goes to his boss's house to ask for his pay, Lao Zha is instead given a visor that serves as a VR headset, allowing him to escape into the hazy warmth of Home Sweet Home: Sum...
