▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Any ang ▁in ▁Hen an ▁province , ▁who ▁comes ▁across ▁an ▁abandoned ▁child . ▁Disc over ing ▁that ▁the ▁child ▁belongs ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁prost itute ▁and ▁mob ster , ▁the ▁poor ▁worker ▁agre es ▁to ▁take ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁baby . ▁When ▁the ▁mob ster ▁disco vers ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁dying ▁of ▁cancer , ▁however , ▁he ▁attempts ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁child ▁back , ▁now ▁his ▁only ▁he ir . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁marked ▁by ▁its ▁use ▁of ▁static ▁cam eras ▁and ▁a ▁natural istic ▁use ▁of ▁light ing ▁and ▁sound , ▁prompt ing ▁one ▁critic ▁to ▁note ▁its ▁similarity ▁to ▁the ▁films ▁of ▁Italian ▁ne ore al ism ▁and ▁the ▁Dog ma ▁ 9 5 ▁manif esto . ▁ ▁Cast ing ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁consisted ▁primarily ▁of ▁non - prof essional ▁actors ▁with ▁most ▁coming ▁locally ▁from ▁Any ang ▁itself . ▁Director ▁Wang ▁Ch ao ▁took ▁four ▁separate ▁tri ps ▁to ▁Any ang ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁three ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁casting ▁the ▁leads . ▁Wang ▁gathered ▁ten ▁loc als ▁to ▁aud ition ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Yu ▁D ag ang , ▁the ▁tender ▁but ▁lon ely ▁and ▁des perate ▁factory ▁worker ▁who ▁finds ▁himself ▁the ▁care t aker ▁of ▁a ▁baby . ▁ ▁The ▁role ▁would ▁eventually ▁go ▁to ▁Sun ▁Gu il in , ▁who ▁Wang ▁chose ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁he ▁possessed ▁" cal m , ▁but ▁also ▁with ▁some ▁person ality ▁and ▁a