Culture Beat: 'Capsule Project Season 2' showcases original short animations

Promotional material for Capsule Project Season 2 Photo: Courtesy of Bilibili

'Capsule Project Season 2' showcases original short animations

Consisting of 13 original short animated episodes, Capsule Project Season 2 was released on Chinese video platform Bilibili on Tuesday.

The collection, which is part of Bilibili's Seeking Light Project to support domestic animation talents, revolves around the theme of "extreme emotions" and is divided into four chapters: New Charm of Chinese Style, Mirror Life, Pioneer Sci-Fi and Life Ode.    

Among them, Stealing Peaches is adapted from the story of the same name in Liaozhai Zhiyi, or Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, a classic collection of supernatural tales. Episode director Wang Jiaguo revealed that the team expanded on the original story and added many characters, such as Mr Hu, a fox fairy. The episode shows the contrast between illusion and obsession through a positive and negative mirror image.  

Dream Mushroom adopts a 4:3 aspect ratio and black-and-white images to create a noir film atmosphere. The suspense thriller atmosphere and black-and-white image style are both avant-garde. Amy and Mr Frog is inspired by Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro, which tells a story about loneliness and self-healing. 

Bathhouse Adventure depicts the memory and nostalgia for the past era and the gradually disappearing traditional bathhouse, while Virus is a sci-fi short film with a doomsday temperament, reflecting on the future development of science and technology and the meaning of life.

Game Show is a story about three people and black-clothed people in a capsule world fighting for a capsule box, showing that everyone is ordinary but irreplaceable. Smile is a sports-themed short film about family and motivation. Episode director Yuan Yuan revealed that even in the face of difficulties, one should smile at life and strive hard.

Capsule Project Season 2 continues the high quality of the first season. These films have unique Chinese-style aesthetics, extreme sci-fi ideas, profound human insight and avant-garde emotional exploration.


Chinese version of 'Skylight' to be staged in Beijing 

The Chinese version of Skylight, a renowned British play, is set to grace the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing.

The British play directed by Stephen Daldry, a three-time Oscar nominee, and written by David Hare, was first produced at the National Theatre in London in 1995, before moving to the West End and Broadway, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Play. 

In 2015, the revival version was staged on Broadway, winning the 69th Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. The play tells the tale of former lovers, a successful restaurateur and an ordinary math teacher, who are trying to rekindle their romance, but finding themselves in opposite worlds: Despite having the same hobby as each other, they hold completely different views and refuse to compromise.

Produced by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and directed by French director Claudia Stavisky, the Chinese version of Skylight premiered at the NCPA in 2019. In 2021, the revival version was directed by young director Xie Shuai, and performed at the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre, the Shanghai Jasmine Theatre and other venues.

The play will be performed four times from December 14 to 17 at the NCPA.