Fantasy animation tells heartwarming tale

Film focusing on family love and traditional culture wins acclaim both at home and overseas, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

A grandfather skilled at lion dancing, a granddaughter with a passion for ballet — drawing on the universal dilemma of the generation gap — animation artist Yang Zhike and her team have brought a short fantasy animation film to life that weaves a spell of family love and cultural heritage.

Renai Dance unfolds with heartwarming moments between the grandfather and his granddaughter Bella, with the grandfather performing spectacular lion dance movements so that Bella eats her vegetables.

As she grows up and leaves home to pursue ballet, she returns only to find that her grandfather has passed away. Overwhelmed by grief, she nearly falls down a stairway, but a miracle occurs. Her grandfather's spirit comes to her rescue, and the two embark on a reunion.

With Yang as creative director, Wu Wenjie as technical director and Chang Han-chen as creative producer, the 3D animation won the 2024 Golden A'Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design. On July 18, Yang attended the international design award's gala ceremony in Como, Italy.