In the animated short “The Chinese Violin”, a young girl Lin Lin and her father move from China to Canada, bringing with them one of their most treasured possessions, a traditional Chinese violin, along for the journey. As they face the challenge of starting fresh in a new place, the music of the violin connects them to the life they left behind and guides the girl towards a musical future. From the beauty of their new country to the uneasiness of not fitting in, this violin sees them through all their experiences, good and bad. One day, however, a terrible misfortune occurs when the Chinese violin is broken.

The story is told from the child’s perspective and based on the children’s book “The Chinese Violin” by Madeleine Thien. Joe Chang illustrated the book as well as directed the short film.

The Chinese Violin : short film