Bi Gan’s “A Short Story”

A Short Story (破碎太阳之心) (2022)

This live action 15-minute fairytale poem about a black cat on a quest for the most precious thing in the world is chock full of visual puzzles, cryptic dialogue and beautiful imagery

This 15-minute short tells the story of a black cat with no friends, no home, and no purpose in life who comes upon a scarecrow that kicks off a quest to answer the question: What is the most precious thing in the world? The cat takes the scarecrow’s hat and coat and sets off to find three “weirdos” who might hold the answer.

Full of beautiful and sometimes mindbending cinematography, it’s something of a puzzle box with its cryptic dialogue and metaphorical pieces but it does manage a full story arc by its conclusion that plays like Alice in Wonderland with hints of “The Fisher King”. A unique and rich little tale which I wish had a title less prone to getting lost.