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From its humble beginnings in the 1920s and '30s to its rise into becoming a fully developed art form in the '60s and the '70s, Chinese animation has gone through its share of ups and downs and has produced some splendid works. The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA)'s "Restored Treasures" series, with the support of the China Film Archive (CFA) in lending its remastered prints of classic Chinese animated films, will screen various animations ranging from hand-drawn and paper-cut creations to ink works in June and July.
After the well-received "Restored Treasures: The Enigma of Chinese Animations (1)" series in May, the screening of "The Enigma of Chinese Animations (2)" on June 1 at the Cinema of the HKFA will feature the animations "Proud General" (1956), "Pigsy Eats Watermelon" (1958), "Where Is Mamma?" (1960) and "The Cowherd's Flute" (1963).
Director Te Wei and his team of artists spent a long time in various cities to gather paintings, sculptures and artworks to produce the beautiful "Proud General", which was inspired by the character designs and movements of Peking opera performances. Director Wan Guchan was a very creative artist and proposed to make the film "Pigsy Eats Watermelon" with paper cutout animation. With support from studio head Te Wei, China's first paper cutout animated film was completed after overcoming numerous logistical challenges.
"Where Is Mamma?" was China's first ink animated film and its drawings were based on Qi Baishi's well-known paintings of a tadpole, prawns and other animals. Using the sight of diluted ink spreading across a canvas for moving visuals, the poetic film creates a graceful look that introduced a new storytelling method for animated films. The film received various awards from 1961 to 1980. Another ink animation film, "The Cowherd's Flute", features a cowherd boy's search for his cattle. The story unfolds with ink images complemented by the soothing sounds of the flute and shows splendid paintings of waterfalls, forests and mountain ranges. The film won the gold award at the International Fairy Tale Festival (now called the Odense International Film Festival) in Denmark in 1979.
In "The Enigma of Chinese Animations (3)", "Three Monks" (1980) and "The Deer Fairy" (1981) will be shown on July 6. Inspired by a comedic dialogue exchange by Hou Baolin, director A Da produced the comical "Three Monks" with children's literature author Bao Lei. The acclaimed short film combines the visual aesthetics of a comic book and the philosophical element of the original quote. "The Deer Fairy" is based on a mural inside Dunhuang's Mogao Caves and features a kind-hearted deer fairy being betrayed by greedy humans. The elegant drawing portrays an insightful story with Buddhist philosophy about karma.
Veteran animators Neco Lo, Keeto Lam and Yu Man-fai will share their views with audiences in post-screening talks.
Tickets priced at $50 are now available at URBTIX with half-price concessionary tickets for senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made on 2111 5999, or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk.
Detailed programme information can be found in "ProFolio 72", which is distributed at all performing venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. For enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900, or browse the webpage: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/filmprog/english/2011rt3/2011rt3_film.html.
Ends/Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:00
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