Deep Sea (2023)

In the wake of her mother’s absence, a young girl named Shenxiu is swept into a fantastical undersea world during a violent storm, where she meets a motley crew of strange sea creatures and the ship’s eccentric captain, Nanhe. Together, they embark on an emotional journey toward the mythic “Deep Sea Eye” in search of healing and reconciliation.

An immersive adventure into a dreamlike seascape, Tian Xiaopeng’s kaleidoscopic feature is worldbuilding at its animated finest. Seven years in the making, the film pioneers a “particle ink” technique inspired by traditional Chinese ink painting, using millions of digital particles to translate the fluidity of brushstrokes – rendering the ocean as a canvas of colour and light.