A child faces off against the sweltering sun: should it be captured through the loops of a cat’s cradle, or cool it down with a giant, icy bottle of Coca-Cola?
These playfully quaint scenes are part of an animation short produced by Rachel Mow and Ivan Chui, who are both from Hong Kong.
Titled The Sun Is Bad, this three-minute action-comedy follows a feisty girl determined to take out the sun, blaming it for melting her city. Set in Hong Kong during the late 1980s, the short not only reflects residents’ struggle against the heat but also captures the aesthetic of a bygone era.
Inspired by Mow’s childhood in Hong Kong’s stifling summers, the 22-year-old director and writer wanted to tell a story about the city through a child’s imagination.
Kongkee visual artist adds local colour to sci-fi representation of Hong Kong
“I used to hate summer and the sun so much as a kid. In Hong Kong, the humidity and heat are so intense, you feel like you’re melting the moment you [head] outside,” said Mow, who graduated last year with Chui, 25, from Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States.
“I would think of different childish ways to try to [battle] the sun, such as using a fishing net.”
The duo’s work was nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 43rd College Television Awards in the animation series category. The prize emulates the prestigious Emmy Awards and recognises outstanding student productions in the United States.
The short clinched top prizes at other events this year, including Animation Dingle in Ireland and the French Institute Alliance Française’s Animation First Festival. It was also featured recently at the Atlanta Film Festival.
Chui, the short’s producer and animator, added: “We wanted the audience to experience the limitless possibilities of a child’s fantasy world.”
Animate culture
Mow and Chui wanted to transport the audience back in time by infusing their story with nostalgic elements of Hong Kong culture: neon signs, a family-run grocery and umbrella store, and even the now-sunken Jumbo Floating Restaurant.
“I’ve always been fond of older Hong Kong. I really appreciate how closely knit everyone was and how rich our culture was back then. It’s disappearing now, which is really sad for me,” Mow said. “It’s a memory for me, a way to celebrate the culture we had before.”
Besides capturing the city’s vanishing culture and landmarks, the film also drew inspiration from iconic Hong Kong films and animations from the 80s and 90s.
For example, Mow and Chui referenced film director Wong Kar-wai’s signature dreamlike textures and saturated colours. They were also influenced by action scenes in the classic comic strip Old Master Q and the beloved cartoon, McDull.
The animation industry in Hong Kong might be small, the duo noted, but it is home to talented artists.
“It feels like a lot of the [award] nominations always come from France, Europe, or Canada, and we rarely see any from Hong Kong,” explained Chui, who is a graduate of Hong Kong Immanuel College.
“Although we did this project in the US, most of my teammates are from Hong Kong – about half of them.”
“I hope people in Hong Kong can see that locals can also achieve what other countries have done in animation,” he added.
Challenges of making 2D animation
While most art programmes in Hong Kong universities primarily focus on design and fine arts, Mow and Chui highlighted the need to promote other fields, such as 2D animation.
“It’s quite rare to find productions in Hong Kong that focus on 2D animation,” Chui said. “These projects could really benefit from more support, perhaps from crowdfunding, because 2D animation is very labour-intensive.”
He shared that he was initially uncertain about which path to pursue during his first year in university. However, he grew to love 2D animation after his professor introduced him to the genre.
“Although I tried 3D animation, I found it to be more technical and less appealing because I really like the human touch in 2D animation,” Chui explained. “You can see a character come to life as you draw each frame.”
Hong Kong Baptist University class crafts comics on city’s overlooked workers
Chui and Mow’s three-minute video was the result of extensive effort over about a year: it took a total of 32 script revisions, and every eight seconds of animation required two months to produce.
Each second has 24 hand-drawn frames. Chui said he appreciated the love and effort that went into drawing, tracing and cleaning every frame.
The duo mentioned that about 25 students collaborated on this project, handling everything from scriptwriting and production to sound design.
For the backgrounds, the group used the software Blender to create 3D effects, while the rest of the animation was crafted by hand.
Hong Kong on the move: artist shares joy by illustrating MTR scenes
Through their work, the duo hopes to encourage the younger generation in Hong Kong to explore animation.
“I just hope people will have more understanding of animation like this,” Chui added.
The filmmakers emphasised the need for greater visibility and funding for local studios and called for a platform to support budding animators.
“Because I do feel like animation is not only for children, it’s also for adults,” Mow said.
To test your understanding of this story, download our printable worksheet or answer the questions in the quiz below.
