"Dwelling by the West Lake," a drama film released on April 3, is the first domestic production to shine a spotlight on the issue of pyramid schemes.

Cast and crew of "Dwelling by the West Lake" pose for a photo at the film's premiere in Beijing, April 1, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Enlight Media]

The cautionary movie tells the story of a woman who faces a new challenge a decade after her husband vanishes. She is ousted from the scenic tea garden where she works by her lover's mother and tricked into joining a fraudulent organization by her friend. This ensnares her and drains her son Mulian, who must rescue his mother from the scam while also attempting to locate his father.

"Dwelling by the West Lake" is the second movie in art house film director Gu Xiaogang's "Mountains and Water" series, following on from the critically acclaimed "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" (2019). Gu shared his motivation for creating the film at the premiere in Beijing on Monday, revealing that his own family had once become deeply entangled in a pyramid scheme. It was this experience that inspired him to produce the movie, with the goal of alerting a wider audience to the dangers of such schemes and helping people avoid being deceived. 

The director and crew infiltrated real pyramid scheme organizations during months of field research, closely mimicking their huge fraud to accurately filming, some unsuspecting members of the public were even taken in by their actions and mistakenly reported them to the police.

"Dwelling by the West Lake" reveals that scams lurk everywhere, with its portrayal resonating deeply with viewers at the premiere, some of whom shared their personal stories. The film also warns of modern scammers exploiting trends like the metaverse, blockchain, new retail and social e-commerce to deceive people. This includes tricking many young, knowledgeable individuals, not to mention the elderly.

In addition to receiving positive feedback, director Gu was also honored on stage with a thank-you banner from an audience member, which read, "Watching the film to identify pyramid schemes will help save millions of families."

A poster for "Dwelling by the West Lake." [Image courtesy of Enlight Media]

Beyond the pyramid scheme storyline, the film also highlights the mutual salvation and support between a mother and son, which has resonated deeply with viewers. Lead actor Wu Lei noted, "Expressing love loudly is important, but sometimes, simply caring can be the best form of companionship and love." Jiang Qinqin, who plays the mother in the film, echoed this sentiment and shared her personal wish for people to cherish the time they spend with their parents. In particular, she suggested that during the upcoming Qingming Festival, audience members should show extra care to their parents and consider taking them to the cinema for quality time together.

The film has already received widespread accolades, including a nomination for best film at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival last year, and with Jiang Qinqin being named best actress at the 17th Asian Film Awards last month in Hong Kong.