One of the most anticipated Chinese animated features of recent years will finally arrive in local theaters on July 8, and if the freshly released trailer is anything to judge by, this colorful fantasy adventure will likely win over audiences internationally. Directed, written and produced by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun, Big Fish & Begonia is produced by Beijing’s B&T Studio with help from South Korean animation house Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra).
Taking inspiration from classic Chinese tales, the film follows a teenage girl on a journey through a strangely altered world, where the Earth and sea blend more fluidly than in our reality. In the form of a dolphin, she sets out to find the human who saved her and repay the favor. After showcasing a half-hour of footage from the film, Big Fish & Begonia drew comparisons to Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed Spirited Away.
Big Fish & Begonia is being released in China by Beijing Enlight Media after a very up-and-down journey to theaters. Xuan and Chun began their journey with a short film titled Swallowtail Butterfly in 2004, and formed B&T Studio the next year to turn the well received short into a feature. Funding proved difficult for years — finally, an appeal to Chinese social media site Weibo in 2013 helped spread the word about the ambitious project, and Studio Mir came on board.
“No any normal people will do things like what [Xuan and Chun] do,” said Enlight Media’s president Wang Changtian at a press conference last week. “I have to thank the two special people who’ve made this film for their endurance and persistence. A good animated film needs time. It will make the Chinese animation industry proud and will not disappoint anyone who’s been waiting for 12 years.”
Still looks lovely. I remember reporting on this title when it first appeared at SICAF several years back. The original trailer still lives on the web, and has resurfaced every couple of years since. Good to see they never gave up.
I just saw the movie, it is really good, the visuals are well put together, a treat for the eyes, the storyline is touching and while a little dramatic and tough to understand as it plays in Chinese Mythology (*can’t spoil it sorry).
When you watch it, you will think, “This is where animation should be at, not Hollywood pumping regurgitated 3D animation features down our throats that detract from the magic possiblities of animation…..I found this movie very enjoyable to watch and recommend it for sure if you can see it, it’s a “Diamond in the Rough” haha