World-renowned American film director Rob Tyler is shooting a remake of The Last Emperor in the Forbidden City, Beijing. The director's assistant Lucy, a Chinese American, hires a Beijing cameraman named YoYo to shoot a "making of" documentary. The director discovers he has ailing health and is booted by the film's producer from the shoot. After witnessing a Chinese funeral for the elderly, Tyler tells YoYo he wants to have a similar "comedy funeral". Soon afterwards the American director falls into a coma. YoYo is officially allowed to plan Tyler's funeral and he enlists the help of a businessman friend to attract as many sponsors as the funeral process would permit.