The Chinese indie band Re-TROS is set to premiere their long-awaited documentary After The Applause at the 2025 FIRST Fantastic Film Festival, where it will make its world premiere in a special program in Beijing‘s Tangu Park. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lou Ye, the film bridges live music and visual storytelling in a bold new way.

Spanning from May 2023 to September 2025, the project chronicles Re-TROS’s milestone concert from their After The Applause tour, which happened in Nanjing on August 5, 2023. Known for their restrained yet powerful musical aesthetics and meticulous stagecraft, Re-TROS delivered an immersive 360° performance that has since become a touchstone in China’s rock music scene. The two-year production captures both the spectacle and the intimate details that defined this landmark moment.

Lou Ye, celebrated for films such as Suzhou River and Spring Fever, is recognized for his signature handheld camera style. While some fans joke about whether his famously shaky camerawork will match Re-TROS’s cool, controlled stage presence, anticipation for the collaboration has only grown.

Nanjing holds special meaning for Re-TROS: vocalist Hua Dong and bassist Liu Min are both natives of the city. For many fans, the 2023 concert was more than a show—it was a homecoming and a cultural landmark. Immediately afterward, the band announced the documentary project, igniting a wave of excitement that has only built during its two-year development.

The premiere also marks Lou Ye’s first release since July 2024, when he faced allegations of embezzlement related to the film Three Words (三个字). The news trended widely on Chinese social media, but Lou Ye quickly dismissed the claims as “pure fabrication” and vowed legal action to protect both his rights and those of his collaborators.

With After The Applause, Lou Ye and Re-TROS are pushing the boundaries of what a music documentary can be: immersive, experimental, and emotionally raw. The documentary’s premiere is set for September 26th at the FIRST International Film Festival.

Cover Image via Re-TROs.