Overview

• At Royal Festival Hall, Spielberg introduced the screening and praised Zhao’s artistry, saying viewers would "feel the seismic heartbeat of the earth."
• Zhao told the audience she felt deep gratitude for bringing the film "home," then led a pre-screening breathing exercise that set a reflective tone.
• In a Sunday LFF talk, Zhao spoke about creating within financial limits and described her neurodivergence as a storytelling "superpower."
• Leads Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal emphasized the project’s impact, with Buckley calling the role transformative and Mescal crediting Zhao’s on-set atmosphere.
• After a Telluride debut and TIFF People’s Choice win, Focus Features opens the film in select U.S. and Canadian theaters Nov. 27 before a Dec. 12 wide release, with a U.K. launch Jan. 9 via Universal.