SYNOPSIS
In a world of propaganda images, surrealist collage and pop-art animation, artist-filmmaker Lei Lei and his family recall the past to make sense of the present. 1950's, Jiaqi is 4 years old when his father is compelled to go work in the countryside and his mother passes away. Shortly after the burial, Dad is forced to put Jiaqi and his sister in an orphanage where they turn into birds in a cage. While the country is in turmoil, a Rainbow fish transforms into a woman and decides to help the kids...
FESTIVALS
- Rotterdam IFF 2022
Tiger Competition
- Göteborg IFF 2022
Ingmar Bergman Competition
- Visions du Réel 2022
Latitudes
- Annecy Festival 2022
Contrechamp competition
- Hiroshima Animation Season 2022
World Competition
- Hong Kong IFF 2022
Young Cinema Competition
- Ottawa International Animation Festival 2022
Official Competition
- Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2022
Nominated for Best Animated Film
- Dok Leipzig 2022
Competition for Long Doc and Animated Film
- Viennale 2022
Main Program
- Bucheon International Animation Festival 2022
Competition in Feature
- Golden Horse FF 2022
Chinese Global Vision
- Torino IFF 2022
International Documentary Competition
CREDITS
Director
Script
Animation & Image Sound Design & Music
Editors
Producers
Co-producers
Associate producers
Production
Co-production
With the support of
International Sales
LEI Lei
LEI Lei
LEI Lei
Tessa Rose JACKSON
Darius TIMMER
LEI Lei
Patrick MINKS
LEI Lei
Isabelle GLACHANT
Bruno FELIX
Janneke VAN DE KERKHOF
Femke WOLTING
LI Xiaorong
LIANG Ying
C-RAY STUDIO
CHINESE SHADOWS
SUBMARINE AMSTERDAM
HUBERT BALS FUND
NETHERLANDS FILM FUND
ASIAN SHADOWS
PRESS REVIEWS
"A Visually Captivating and Emotionally Rewarding Chronicle of a Chinese Family (…) With some lovely humor included along the way, the film’s well-ordered narration gives the film a solid storytelling foundation for Lei to overlay with a nonstop exhibition of eye-popping visuals." -- Richard KUIPERS, Variety
"Silver Bird And Rainbow Fish establishes an idiosyncratic and distinctive aesthetic (...) imaginatively playful, warmly empathetic and illuminating"
-- Neil YOUNG, Screen
"An intimate portrait of a single family and a reflection of a nation in the oppressive aftermath of a revolution."
-- Marc VAN DE KLASHORST, International Cinephile Society