A native of France, Paul (Gauthier Roubichou) lives and works in Shanghai as an IT engineer, spending his days fixing the problems of China's rapidly expanding population of internet users and his nights performing at one of Shanghai's many music clubs. Yet despite his love for China and his fluency in Chinese, in the eyes of the Chinese he is a "lao wai", a foreigner. A chance meeting with Mei (Han Dan Tong) changes his life, and tests the limits of love in the face of overwhelming cultural differences. Set against the backdrop of modern China, "Lao Wai" peels back the abstractions surrounding China's rise and its people, offering viewers a truer picture of 21st century China. Exploring themes of betrayal and forgiveness, "Lao Wai" is a love-story in a time of globalization.
—Anonymous