China · 2025 · PG · 85 min · Mandarin with English subtitles
In an ancient time, a monkey and his dog traverse the dangerous forests, jungles, and tundras of the world to reach the Holy Mountain. A task that once belonged to his mother, the monkey must now bring warmth back to his tribe. Though the harsh conditions and lack of food tests his friendship with the dog, together they will find they can reach insurmountable heights.
Li Wenyu began his animation career as a student and is now a professor of animation and digital art at Sichuan University. Over the years he found and developed his style through the short films “Go to City Ele” (2015), “Oh & Yeah” (2017), and “A Bus” (2019), all of which were well received at festivals. When it came time to make his feature debut, he made the move to a time efficient yet striking medium.
Loosely based on Qiang legend (a minority group in China), A Story About Fire masterfully weaves hand drawn and inked frames in a way that is simple yet full of depth, much like this story of love, survival, identity, and belonging.
