Ran Bi Wa

A Story about Fire | Eine Geschichte vom Feuer

Generation Kplus 2025

This film is based on an ancient legend of the Qiang, an ethnic minority living in the mountainous regions of southwest China. It tells the story of a monkey who grows up among humans and follows the footsteps of his mother, Awubaji, to the Holy Mountain to uncover the secret of warmth. After undergoing many hardships and dangers, the monkey manages to get hold of a fire stone. His fur burns off and he finally turns into a human being. The film is rendered in the style of traditional Chinese ink painting and poetically envisions life in a prehistoric society. The story of the fire thief addresses timeless themes, such as growth and companionship, which are still important today. With Ran Bi Wa, the legendary Shanghai Animation Film Studio, birthplace of many iconic Chinese animations, is celebrating a triumphant return.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Li Wenyu (Director, Screenplay)
with Yang Haoyu, Zhou Xun, Bei Yile, Kang Chunlei People’s Republic of China 2025 85' Colour World premiere | Debut film | Animation recommendation: 12 years and up

With

Yang Haoyu (Ranbiwa)
Zhou Xun (Awubaji)
Bei Yile (Ranbiwa (Child))
Kang Chunlei (Doggie)

Crew

Director	Li Wenyu
Screenplay	Li Wenyu
Editing	Li Wenyu
Music	Zhang Quan
Sound Design	Huang Lei
Production Design	Li Wenyu
Animation	Li Wenyu
Producers	Chen Bo, Wang Anyi, Su Donghai
Executive Producer	Su Da

World Sales

Parallax Films

Beijing, People’s Republic of China

Produced by

Shanghai Animation Film Studio

Schanghai, People’s Republic of China

Photos

Li Wenyu

The director is a graduate of Beijing University in China, where he was mentored by Kexuan Ma. He is currently a professor in animation and digital art at Sichuan University. His animated short films have won numerous international awards, including at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Cannes and Warsaw.

Filmography

2013 Wu Ya (Raven); animation 2015 Xiang Du (Go to City ELE); animation 2017 Yin (Oh & Yeah); animation 2019 Gong Jiao Che (A Bus); animation 2025 Ran Bi Wa (A Story about Fire); animation

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025