Dong Lei on Reshaping the Narrative of the Chinese Experience in Cinema

When people think of major box office films, they often think of blockbusters that make millions of dollars domestically within the United States. However, global audiences and international markets play an increasingly vital role in shaping the success and influence of modern cinema.

Dong Lei, who is a leading filmmaker and production designer from China, has both witnessed and experienced the cultural shift that surrounds Chinese culture in media firsthand. At a time when films typically earn more in his country than in the United States, China leads as one of the top countries that contribute to the box office. The country is projected to make $10.83 billion in 2025, falling just narrowly behind the United States’ projections of $13.31 billion.

However, Lei wasn’t always a filmmaker and production designer. His background in oil painting led to him becoming an architectural and interior design expert, but he is more interested in the way his Asian culture can express human emotion, as well as the philosophy and art.

Early Recognition from the Rising Voices Program

Filmmakers and production designers assume the role of art department head and play critical creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. A member of the Rising Voices program, Lei garnered critical acclaim and recognition from the very first season, during which time one of his projects, Only the Moon Stands Still, won the AFI Fest Audience Award.

The Rising Voices program, which is an initiative dedicated to producing diverse and multicultural films, enables creators to utilize their backgrounds to create authentic and emotionally resounding pieces. Lei’s Chinese background and cultural heritage allowed him to craft the sets for Only the Moon Stands Still, which tells the story of three generations of Chinese women who say goodbye to their family ballroom-dance studio.

“Not only did this filmmark the beginning of my collaboration with the Rising Voices program, but it also became one of the most memorable works of Season 1,” Lei says.

Continued Success

Lei’s success with Only the Moon Stands Still inspired the Rising Voices team to bring him back for season 3 with his film My Night Glows Yellow, which explores the interplay between humans and technology. Lei describes the process as “additive in nature,” and that his work “required a subtractive approach to reflect the emptiness and loneliness of modern society.”

“Designing through subtraction is far more challenging,” Lei says. “It demanded precise use of space and lines within the frame, and a careful interplay of minimalist wallpaper and stark white walls.”

His work paid off, as in 2024, the film was awarded Best Drama at the Short to the Point Film Festival. He would also go on to work on the film Corpse Fishing in season 4 of the Rising Voices program. His newest work was completed in the film Under the Rising Sun.

Shaping Chinese Classical Art through a Modern Lens

At a time when Chinese artists are making headway in cinema, Dong Lei’s hope and goals for the coming years are to study and analyze more traditional Chinese classical art to interpret it through a modern lens, all with the intent to showcase the Chinese experience without resorting to stereotypes.