Foolish Fish Fable

Once upon a time, a tiny fish heard a rumor: if it ate a child, it would become immortal. But it was a polite one. It wanted a willing sacrifice. So, it swam to some boat kids. “Can I eat you?” it asked. “No way,” they said, “but we’ll help you ask the bridge kids.” The bridge kids refused too, sending it to the tree kids, who in turn suggested, “Try the mountain kids—they’re juicier.” The fish worried. “But how will I get there?” “We can help you!” So all the kids gathering together lifted the fish, climbing towards the mountain. But guess what? Before reaching the mountain… the poor polite fish dried up and died

Director’s statement
Most of my film began with a single act — collecting antiques. I first met this embroidered fabric in an antique shop in China, but the shop owner told me it wasn’t for sale. Then, as if the big fish itself whispered to me, the story formed in my mind within two minutes, and the shop owner moved by my story, decided to sell it to me.
It’s a simple story, yet it has many layers. Where did the fish hear the rumor? Are the others truly helping, or are they deceiving the fish? What is immortality? What does it mean to become a “god” — in both Eastern and Western contexts?
And most importantly: death is something we can only imagine, but never truly experience in our lifetime.
We, the two directors — one from China and one from Taiwan — will complete this short film in Estonia, to reveal this grand fable of transformation. Would you like to join us in helping the big fish ascend to immortality?