The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam

The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam (Chinese: 鹬蚌相争; pinyin: Yù Bàng Xiāng Zhēng), also translated as Snipe–Clam Grapple, is a 1983 Chinese animated short film directed by Hu Jinqing and produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It won the Silver Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 1984.[1] The film combines painted and cutout animation.[2]

The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam
Traditional Chinese鷸蚌相爭
Simplified Chinese鹬蚌相争
Literal meaningSnipe and clam fight each other
Hanyu PinyinYù Bàng Xiāng Zhēng
Directed byHu Jinqing
Distributed byShanghai Animation Film Studio
Release date
  • 1983 (1983)
Running time
10 minutes
CountryChina
Languagenone

Background

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The film is based on the Chinese proverb "in the fight between the snipe and the clam, the fisherman has the best of it".[3]

Plot

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A clam is sitting out in the sun when suddenly a snipe flies down to peck at it. The clam slams its shells shut, gripping the snipe's beak in between. The snipe says, "If it doesn't rain today, and it doesn't rain tomorrow, I shall see a dead clam on the beach." The clam retorts, "If I don't open today, and I don't open up tomorrow, I shall see a dead snipe on the beach." While they are grappling with each other, a fisherman passes by and nets them both.[citation needed]

Credits

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Screenwriters Gu Hanchang
Mo Du
顾汉昌
墨犊
Director Hu Jinqing 胡进庆
Art Design Lu Ruhao 陆汝浩
Animation Design Ge Guiyun
Wu Yunchu
Zha Kan
Lu Songmao
葛桂云
吴云初
查侃
陆松茂
Photography Geng Kang 耿康
Character Drawing Yue Huimin
Gong Jinfu
岳慧敏
龚金福
Painted Scene Wu Zhongwen 伍仲文
Composer Duan Shijun 段时俊
Effects Bai Weimin 白伟民
Recording Zhan Lei 詹磊
Editing Mo Puzhong 莫普忠
Conductor Song Guanghai 宋光海
Played by Shanghai Film Orchestra 上海电影乐团

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zhang, Yingjin (2012). A Companion to Chinese Cinema. John Wiley & Sons. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-4443-3029-8.
  2. ^ Global Animation Theory: International Perspectives at Animafest Zagreb
  3. ^ Lent, John A. (2001). Animation in Asia and the Pacific. Indiana University Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-253-34035-1.
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