My Milk Cup Cow

A father lies to his daughter Nunu that there is a cow inside her cup of milk. She believes him but when she has finished her milk, there is no cow. Nunu gradually stops trusting her father since he is always lying. This animated short film is based on the childhood memories of ZHU’s father. The film depicts the father from the point of view of the child, scooping up the various lies that appear in everyday life. Hand-drawn on pape r, the vibrant animation utilizing soft pastel textures recreates the atmosphere of a small town in Jiangnan in China in the 1980s.

The rain scene is good. The darker sides of the people seen through the openings in the father’s raincoat they wear while riding his bike are poignant and melancholy. The car taillights look drenched not only due to the rain. In a life exposed to uncertainties, the exchange between the father and daughter is heartwarming but bittersweet. The way the film uses the calf that frequently appears also seems to reflect the hard-to-explain nuances of a young girl’s mind. Surely this is a story from the artist’s own childhood. Along with the strong brushwork and delicate psychological characterization, the film is a remarkably mature work for a newcomer. (OHI Fumio)