A BEDTIME STORY FOR THE END

Zheyan Li

 

FILE SÃO PAULO 2026: Inter-creativity – Art and Technology – CINEFILE | Short
Electronic Language International Festival

 

A Bedtime Story for the End – China

In the near future, a global plague of “perpetual wakefulness” has taken away everyone’s ability to dream. People then discover that our collective, unconscious dreams were the very energy that kept the laws of the universe stable. As the dreams vanish, reality itself begins to fray and unravel. The rules of physics come loose in ways both poetic and strange. Countless sleepless people toss and turn in their rooms, the border between their inner minds and the outer world blurring. 

BIO

Zheyan is a visual artist and poet from Chenzhou, China, and a graduate of Metfilm School, in London. His work spans experimental film, documentary, photography, and AI-generated art. He uses a calm, restrained visual language to create cold, philosophical spaces, prompting audiences to reflect on human existence.