Like Zhang's earlier film, Curiosity Kills the Cat, Lost Indulgence takes place in the central Chinese city of Chongqing.

[1] The film is a family drama about the relationship between a mother and son (Jiang Wenli and Tan Jianci) after the sudden death of the father (Eric Tsang).

Lost Indulgence navigated a complicated series of schedules and cancellations before it was allowed to screen abroad, at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008.

The father, Wu Tao drove his cab into the Yangtze River, breaking Su-Dan's leg and potentially paralyzing her for life, though his body was not recovered.

[2] Others saw the heightened concern as a result of public criticism and controversy surrounding Ang Lee's sexually explicit Lust, Caution and Feng Xiaogang's allegorical war story Assembly.