Set in 1902 Peking, photographer Liu Jinglun (Xia) is hard at work
preparing for the arrival of a famous opera singer. His fascination with
Western novelites is condemned by his boss, Master Ren (Liu).
With the arrival of
Raymond Wallace (Harris), Liu's interest is
renewed as Raymond introduces "Shadow Magic", the first silent movie
to ever be seen in Peking.
Instantly drawn to work with Raymond and to learn all he can about the moving
picture, Liu must be wary not to allow his boss, his father or his
girlfriend to find out, or he will lose their respect.