SHANGHAI CALLING is a romantic comedy about American “expats” living in the dynamic, eye-popping city of Shanghai, China. When ambitious New York attorney Sam (DANIEL HENNEY) is sent to Shanghai, he immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could end his career. With help from a beautiful relocation specialist (ELIZA COUPE), a well-connected old-timer (BILL PAXTON), a clever journalist (GENG LE), and a smart, sexy legal assistant (ZHU ZHU), Sam might save his job, find romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders of Shanghai.

Shanghai Calling Trailer

Director Daniel Hsia’s Statement about the film

SHANGHAI CALLING is a love letter to Shanghai, the city where both of my parents were born, a place I traveled extensively while researching the screenplay, and a second home that I have grown immensely fond of over the past several years.

This film is also an exploration into the timely topic of “Americans as immigrants” in a faraway land. As one of our characters points out, Americans living abroad call themselves “expats” instead of “immigrants,” perhaps because the latter term brings to mind poor, huddled masses rather than the sophisticated jet-setters we are. But as China continues to grow while the U.S. economy struggles, more and more of us are, in fact, seeking jobs overseas, and in the process discovering what means to become a modern-day “immigrant.” It’s a fascinating paradigm shift for many Americans, and one that is ripe for comedy as well.

But more than anything, this is a film about contemporary China. It is a topic that is on everyone’s lips — hardly a day goes by without a mention of China in The New York Times or on CNN — but it is a place that remains an ancient mystery to many westerners. I hope that SHANGHAI CALLING will provide an charming and enlightening glimpse into modern life in this amazing place.