This programme addresses controversial social issues and looks at serious problems, often from a humorous point of view. The filmmakers offer insights into current debates that are relevant not only in China but globally: from state control and social media to environmental pollution to domestic violence and social exclusion.
Presented and curated in cooperation with Yantong Zhu, filmmaker and chief curator of China Independent Animation Film Forum 2018 and Jin Yu, filmmaker and professor at China Academy of Art, Hangzhou
Cat City
Jueyang Zhang
CN
2018,
5’56
One day, a giant cat was found in the middle of the forest. It snored loudly, yet its breath was as gentle and soft as its fur. People were so fond of the cat that, gradually, an entire city grew around it.
Day, the Chef
Shuyu Xiong
CN
2016,
2’34
This animation presents the subtle connection between urban life and Beijing dishes. It vividly reflects how people are living under the urban pressures by using metaphors.
Home
Yanrusi Wang
CN
2018,
3’39
A hermit crab without a conch finds a dirty broken bottle in the sea. It becomes its shell to protect against its natural enemies. This ‘unique’ waste drives the crabs to abandon their permanent shells and rely on solid sea waste. With increasing pollution, the crabs are drawn to our cities.
The Laughing Carnival
Lei Yang
CN
2018,
5’13
An absurd and ironic story in the form of a news report: about a nobody who lives on the margins of society, someone who was forced to integrate into mainstream groups and be assimilated by the majority.
The Door Mirror
Xi He
CN
2014,
7’17
People use peepholes (‘cat eyes’ in Chinese) to peep at other people. Modern ink art is used in this dream-like story to describe a grotesque world inside and outside cat eyes, reflecting increasingly strange and different environments of survival of people today.
Hugging Dancing
Yuanyuan Huang
CN
2015,
5’00
Three guys meet, become friends, go their separate ways and meet again unexpectedly. Let me hug you with my dancing heart! 1,000 Chinese children contributed their drawings.
My Little World
Mengqian Chen, Jiao Liu
CN
2012,
6’40
The story of a girl who has autism. She likes to tear paper and enjoys her beautiful and colourful inside world.
A Woman’s Life
Jin Yu
CN
2014,
6´
After the birth of her child, a Beijing Opera actress famed for her role as the legendary Chinese heroine Mu Guiying wants to return to the stage and continue her career. The complex realities of her life are full of contradictions.
Daisy
Jingjing Ren
CN
2016,
4’28
Daisy’s mother cannot protect her: The girl cannot be born safely because of resistance from outside. The original intention of this film was to raise awareness of how girls are being discriminated against.
Black Room
Jingjing Ren
CN
2017,
4’17
A girl grows up in a violent home. A warm-hearted boy brings a little comfort to her wounded mind. This film is based on my childhood experiences. I hope it can bring courage to friends who have the same experience.
My Milk Cup Cow
Yantong Zhu
CN/JP
2014,
11’03
Nunu’s single-parent father tells his 4-year-old daughter that there is a cow at the bottom of her milk cup. Nunu drinks her milk, only to realize that there is no cow. Gradually the daughter stops believing her father.
Tricky Women - International Animation Filmfestival Vienna
