Under a tin-gray sky, in a hollowed out corner of northern China, a stranger arrives in town bearing magical soap—but smelling it will cost you. Nearby, a pair of unenthused cops try cracking a seemingly simple case. Or not. And you can forget religious solace; the only monk around is not what he seems.

Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?

I​t's past midnight. Zhao goes down to smoke, leaving his drunken wife to murmur her erotic dream upstairs. Neighbour Lee jumps off the building in front of Zhao, and his suicide reveals a sex video taken by phone. Sanqing falls in love with her tutor. She wants to strengthen her relationship with Professor Sun on a seaside trip, but finally realises her efforts are in vain. Hai Long is an old acquaintance of Sun. He tries to bring Sanqing and his client Wang together, giving Sanqing the opportunity to take revenge In the dark tunnel on the island, Wang tells Sanqing a nightmare that reveals the whole story.

A dark comedy follows a Siberian tiger, a dog, a forklift driver, a middle school teacher, a poet, a debt collector and a pregnant woman. Beneath the absurdities of an owner trying to avenge his dog and his pregnant wife is a story about reality.