– Julien Chheng whisks us away to China with a highly endearing, epic adventure film blending modernity and legend, following in the wake of a fearless teenage girl
“Go forth and forge your own legend”, “He who lives without madness isn’t as wise as all that.” Choosing China as the setting for Muyi, his second feature film (albeit his first solo feature after Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia) which was presented in the 45th Annecy Animated Film Festival’s Contrechamp competition, French director Julien Chheng delivers an incredibly dynamic immersion in the land of his ancestors, where the near-present (the 1990s) and the legends of 6th century warlords collide in a graphic style which pays wonderful tribute to the calligraphic tradition. It’s a bridge across time which raises questions over the legacy of the past and the social position of women, and a thrilling film blending social drama and the mischievousness of youth, dipping into the fantasy and swashbuckling genres, the coming of age tale, and traditions in the region of the Kunlun Mountains (considered by Taoism and ancient Chinese mythology to be a mountain of immortals inhabited by the gods).
“We’re not witches, we’re just not allowed in the village”. Galloping on her buffalo and trying (with her brothers Jing Ren and Jing Yan) to sell handmade products to coachloads of tourists, teenager Muyi (who’s 14 years old) isn’t afraid of anything. Her dream is to make enough money to leave the village of women (which is strictly off limits to men) where, as an orphan, she was raised under her grandmother’s tutelage surrounded by strict rules which the young woman sees as inconvenient superstitions (offerings to appease the souls of the dead, an old tower to be avoided in the middle of the forest, etc.). A travelling female theatre company performing the legend of the handsome general – a warrior of times gone by who wore a frightening helmet which was said to hide his striking looks – might bring just the kind of opportunity she’s looking for. But awakening lost souls doesn’t go unpunished. Misfortune follows, and Muyi and her friends find themselves catapulted into a deathly perilous journey through time which also lifts the veil on the real secret behind our intrepid protagonist’s birth…
“Accepting who we are and writing our own destiny.” It’s around this narrative arc that Julien Chheng and his co-screenwriter Sujuan Xu weave a whirlwind of twists, turns and emotions. We cross paths with a vegetarian tiger and a spirit guide with flawed magic who’s responsible for catching lost souls; fires break out, a battle for a fortress unfolds, high-speed chases and fights ensue, treasure sparks envy, and betrayal looms large. But there’s also friendship, love and growing realisation around the protagonist’s own identity (“we’re afraid of everything and others are afraid of us”) which overlaps with the curse of being born a girl in China where great myths and the social reality of the countryside collide. These tumultuous adventures (in a brilliantly crafted visual patina) are steered by the very steady hand of the director who’s reinterpreting animated classics, adding his own personal touch and striking the right balance between family entertainment and “coded” messages for adults who know only too well that “the basis of all myths is part truth, part lie”.
Muyi was produced by Studio La Cachette (the filmmaker’s own company) and Duetto, while mk2 are steering world sales.
(Translated from French)
