A cream statue of a dog stands in building rubble

Statue in the Garden

A film by Qianhui Yu.

Didi has made a momentous move, leaving the verdant mountains of southern China for the British city of Stoke-on-Trent – a place that is known as the home of the pottery industry in the UK and the ceramics capital of the world. Whilst feeling alien and lonesome in this new and unfamiliar environment, she comes across a curious, little, ceramic statue in the garden of her new home. This enchanting object helps Didi to appreciate the intriguing heritage of her new neighbourhood through an unexpected journey back in time.

Statue in the Garden is a film by Qianhui Yu, produced by Animate Projects, with the support of Film Hub Midlands as part of the BFI NETWORK, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

A woman in a yellow dress with many bags around her, stands in front of a British house with a red door

A woman in a yellow dress holds a cream dog statue in her palm

Winner of the Arthur Berry Prize at the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition, UK.

Screenings include: Flatpack Festival, UK; Bolton Film Festival, UK; Bucheon International Animation Festival, South Korea; CRAFT International Animation Festival, Indonesia; Aesthetica Short Film Festival, UK; This is England Festival, France; London International Animation Festival, UK; 19th British Shorts Film Festival, Germany.

Qianhui Yu is an animation director and illustration artist based in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. In 2020, she directed and animated short film Wastopia, as her Royal College of Art MA Animation graduation project. She has made editorial animations and illustrations for Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Times Book Review, Penguin Randomhouse and Faber Children amongst others.

Visit Qianhui’s website