A world beyond death. A lone soul guardian. A pact that defies lifetimes. Fantasy film Another World could well be Hong Kong’s most ambitious animation since the iconic My Life as McDull (2001).
Seven years in the making, this 111-minute visual epic paints a world that is both brutal and breathtaking, sweeping audiences into an emotionally charged odyssey of rage, faith and redemption.
Adapted from Japanese author Naka Saijo’s novel Sennenki: Thousand-Year Journey of an Oni, the film explores the weight of unresolved emotion. In the story, these emotional knots, when left unhealed, breed “seeds of evil” that transform people into vengeful monsters, called wraths.
At the film’s heart is Gudo (voiced by Chung Suet-ying), a stoic spirit who guides souls towards reincarnation. His world changes when he meets Yuri (Christy Choi Hiu-tung), a girl searching desperately for her brother.
Through their interactions, Gudo begins to grasp the mysteries of human emotion. Under orders from the goddess Mira (Kay Tse On-kei), he must help Yuri tame her rage before it consumes her. Accompanying Gudo is his friend, Dark Sky (Louis Cheung Kai-chung), who brings a lighthearted balance to the film’s heavy emotions.
As it works to unmask the world’s cruelty and violence, the film delves into profound questions about humanity. What truly defines evil? How do we hold on to faith when every sign points to despair?
In this heart-wrenching, multilayered plot accompanied by a spellbinding score, the tension builds and then erupts, leaving both shock and sorrow lingering in its wake.
Directed by Tommy Ng Kai-chung, Another World was selected for screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, one of the most prestigious animated movie festivals in the world.
The film has also earned three nominations for this year’s Golden Horse Awards, and it is the opening title for the 22nd Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.
Director Ng’s fictional world incorporates the Buddhist philosophy of impermanence to reflect Asian perspectives on life and death. Writer and producer Polly Yeung Po-man was also inspired by American psychiatrist Brian Weiss’ book Many Lives, Many Masters to explore the themes of reincarnation and letting go of unresolved emotion.
Character designs and sets are infused with multicultural references: from an Indian-inspired palace to a weathered factory in London and Gudo’s appearance based on a Tibetan ritual. Each setting breathes life into the film’s vision of multiple lifetimes that are intertwined.
In 2019, the creative team joined Hong Kong’s 6th Animation Support Programme, which granted them a subsidy to produce a 14-minute pilot for Another World. Their pilot won the Gold Award under the Small Animation Enterprises (Advanced Production) category.
The team went on to develop their project into a feature-length animated film after they received another subsidy from the city’s Film Production Financing Scheme.
Unlike Japan’s massive animation studios, where multiple production teams might collaborate on a single scene, the small group of Hong Kong creators behind Another World deserve special praise for their storytelling and craftsmanship.
All in all, the animation is a deeply poignant story about faith and humanity, topics that feel timely as the age of AI forces us to interrogate what it means to be human.
The film opens in Hong Kong cinemas on October 29.
Another World contains some scenes of violence. Parental guidance is advised for younger viewers.
