NYC man’s stolen phone uploads stranger’s orange tree photos — turning him into a celebrity in China

Many of us adore our favorite celebrities and perhaps some even dream of becoming famous like them. But what if, for some strange reason, someone who does not have that desire ends up in the spotlight? You would dismiss this assumption by simply calling it weird, right? A man with a similar real-life story felt the same when he became an overnight sensation in a foreign country he had never visited. A journalist and senior editor at BuzzFeed, Matt Stopera, had his iPhone stolen from a New York City bar in 2014, and a year later, he became a star in China. A glimpse into his year-long journey to find his lost smartphone and the years after it was recently featured in a documentary trailer titled “Brother Orange,” produced by Gravitas Ventures (@gravitasventuresVOD on YouTube).

The video showcased Stopera’s claim to fame and his newfound friendship in China. The story began when Stopera received numerous photos of a man posing in front of an orange tree in his iPhone photo stream. This peculiar discovery, occurring a year after he lost his phone, prompted him to write an article on BuzzFeed's website titled, “Who Is This Man and Why Are His Photos Showing Up on My Phone?” Within hours, the article became a massive hit on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Additionally, people successfully identified the mysterious man featured in those pictures.

It turned out to be a Chinese national named Li Hongjun (also known as Brother Orange). The online community went further, inviting Stopera to the Asian country and treating him like a celebrity. In fact, he became the subject of popular memes. “They demanded we meet, so I traveled halfway around the world to meet Brother Orange on the wildest trip of my life. There were 2007 Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan levels of paparazzi,” Stopera wrote in his latest BuzzFeed post, recalling the craziest experience of his life.

In the documentary’s trailer, the journalist was heard explaining, “One of the things that I have learned through this is that the Chinese really believe in fate. So, the fact that I live in NYC and then some guy lives in Southern China and we’re connected by a thread is more than coincidence. It’s like a meant-to-be kind of thing.” The video showed the local media in Beijing and other Chinese cities following Stopera and Brother Orange’s every move. The duo reportedly formed a deep friendship that transcended cultural and language barriers.

During the journalist’s trip, they rode around in cars with their pictures on them, took mud baths, and visited tea garden estates. Upon Brother Orange’s visit to the United States, Stopera felt obligated to come out to his new friend and share his true self. The video was well received, with people showering love on their unique friendship. Among them, @AjaOlander lauded, “This looks absolutely adorable.”

“I can not wait to see this. What a beautiful story,” @rckblykitn added. “I hope the film shows what happened after the trip to China, too,” @sfisher89101 remarked.