{{Short description|2025 animated film by Li Wenyu}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = A Story About Fire | image = File:A Story About Fire poster.png | alt = | caption = | native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none | c = {{linktext|lang=zh|燃|比|娃}} | p = Ran Bi Wa | l = Burning Baby }} | director = Li Wenyu | producer = {{Plainlist| * Chen Bo * Wang Anyi * Su Donghai }} | screenplay = Li Wenyu | story = | based_on = {{Based on|''Qiang folk religion''}} | starring = {{Plainlist| * Yang Haoyu * Zhou Xun * Bei Yile * Kang Chunlei }} | narrator = | music = Zhang Quan | cinematography = | editing = Li Wenyu | studio = Shanghai Animation Film Studio | distributor = Shanghai Film Group | released = {{Film date|2025|02|18|Berlin International Film Festival|2026|04|28|China|df=y}} | runtime = 85 minutes | country = China | language = Mandarin Chinese | budget = | gross = }}
'''''A Story About Fire''''' ({{lang-zh|c=燃比娃|p=Ran Bi Wa}}; literally ''Burning Baby'') is a 2025 Chinese animated fantasy film written and directed by Li Wenyu. It is based on Qiang folk religion about Ranbiwa stealing fire for humanity. Shanghai Animation Film Studio animated the film on Xuan paper and it distributed by the Shanghai Film Group.
==Plot== Awubaji, the chief of a tribe, went to a mountain to bring fire back to humanity. She dies after bringing back Ranbiwa. Ranbiwa grows up and is sent to the mountain with a wolf. They traverse the dangers of the mountain before finding fire in a cave. The wolf sacrifices itself to save Ranbiwa from a monster. Ranbiwa, who has been losing his fur, rises from ashes and becomes human.
==Cast== * Yang Haoyu as adult Ranbiwa * Zhou Xun as Awubaji * Bei Yile as young Ranbiwa * Kang Chunlei as wolf
==Production== ''A Story About Fire'' is based on stories from Qiang folk religion.{{sfn|Berlin International Film Festival}} Li Wenyu first heard of the Qiang story of Ranbiwa in 2018.{{sfn|Mao|2026}} Ranbiwan, who resembles a monkey, is the son of the god of fire and a human chief and brings fire to humanity after stealing it from the gods.{{sfn|《燃比娃》：首部宣纸水墨动画，重绘羌族古老传说|2026}} Li conducted research of cultural relics at museums and went to the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.{{sfn|Mao|2026}} Research trips were also conducted by the production to Wenchuan, Mao, and Li counties.{{sfn|Yao|2026}}
Li started work on the film and presented an image and a simple text description at the Nanjing International Animation Festival Project Market in 2019. Su Da and Chen Bo, the director and deputy director of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, selected Li's project out of 30 submissions.{{sfn|Mao|2026}}
Production took five to six years.{{sfn|A Story about Fire: film de Wenyu Li & Shanghai Animation Studio|2026}}{{sfn|Yao|2026}} A grant was given to the production by Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation in 2022.{{sfn|Sun|2025}} This was the first animated film Li directed{{sfn|Sun|2025}}{{sfn|Sichuan University}} and he also wrote and edited it.{{sfn|Berlin International Film Festival}} ''A Story About Fire'' is the first animated film hand-painted on Xuan paper{{sfn|Scott|2026}} and over 50,000 pages of rice paper were used.{{sfn|China estrena Ran Bi Wa, una animación hecha a mano en plena polémica por la IA|2026}} Qiang embroidery art, which Li discovered during his research, was also used.{{sfn|《燃比娃》：首部宣纸水墨动画，重绘羌族古老传说|2026}}
The band {{lang|zh|野孩子乐队}} (Wild Children) created the soundtrack over the course of two years. The band travelled to a Qiang village to collect music and instruments.{{sfn|Mao|2026}} {{lang|zh|荒唐谣}} (Absurd Ballad), a promotional song, was created by DouDou.{{sfn|Xue|2026}}
==Release== An incomplete version was shown at the work in progress section of the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.{{sfn|Annecy Festival Unveils Work-in-Progress Selection for 2024|2024}} ''A Story About Fire'' premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival{{sfn|Red Lotus Asian Film Festival}} on 18 February 2025.{{sfn|Sun|2025}}{{sfn|Sichuan University}} It was the third time that a film by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio was shown at Berlinale, after ''Three Monks'' in 1982, and ''The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam'' in 1984.{{sfn|《燃比娃》：首部宣纸水墨动画，重绘羌族古老传说|2026}}{{sfn|Sun|2025}} Shanghai Film Group theatrically released the film in China on 28 April 2026.{{sfn|Xue|2026}} Global sales were managed by Parallax Films.{{sfn|Berlin International Film Festival}}
The China Film Pavilion (CFCC) at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival showed ''A Story About Fire'', ''Shanghai Wonton'', and ''It's OK'' on 13 May, and the CFCC later screened ''A Story About Fire'' at the École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle on 16 May.{{sfn|China Film Pavilion Returns to Cannes as China Film Co-Production Corporation Presents Over 180 Domestic Films|2026}} ''A Story About Fire'' was shown at the São Paulo International Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Melbourne International Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, and Haifa International Film Festival.{{sfn|Mubi}}
==Reception== Atsushi Ohara, writing for ''The Asahi Shimbun'', compared the art style to ''Little Tadpoles Looking for Mama'' (1960) and ''The Cowboy's Flute'' (1963), but felt that ''A Story About Fire'' was underwhelming.{{sfn|Ohara|2025}}
===Accolades=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width: 100%;" |- ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Date of ceremony ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Recipient(s) ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref heading}} |- ! scope="row" | 38th Golden Rooster Awards | 15 November 2025 | Best Animation | ''A Story About Fire'' | {{lost}} | align="center" | {{sfn|Golden Rooster Awards}}{{sfn|Shi|2025}} |- ! scope="row" | 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 27 November 2025 | Best Animated Film | ''A Story About Fire'' | {{lost}} | align="center" | {{sfn|Keast|2025}} |- ! scope="row" | 33rd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film | 2026 | AniMovie Award | ''A Story About Fire'' | {{won}} | align="center" | {{sfn|Milligan|2026}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Works cited== {{refbegin|30em}} ===News=== * {{Cite news |date=27 April 2026 |title=《燃比娃》：首部宣纸水墨动画，重绘羌族古老传说 |work=NetEase |url=https://www.163.com/dy/article/KRH2U65D0517CGO5.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601210946/https://www.163.com/dy/article/KRH2U65D0517CGO5.html |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|《燃比娃》：首部宣纸水墨动画，重绘羌族古老传说|2026}}}} * {{Cite news |date=8 March 2026 |title=A Story about Fire: film de Wenyu Li & Shanghai Animation Studio |work={{ill|Catsuka|fr|Catsuka}} |url=https://www.catsuka.com/news/2026-03-08/a-story-about-fire-film-de-wenyu-li-et-shanghai-animation-studio |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601055151/https://www.catsuka.com/news/2026-03-08/a-story-about-fire-film-de-wenyu-li-et-shanghai-animation-studio |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|A Story about Fire: film de Wenyu Li & Shanghai Animation Studio|2026}}}} * {{Cite news |date=23 May 2024 |title=Annecy Festival Unveils Work-in-Progress Selection for 2024 |work=Animation Magazine |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/05/annecy-festival-unveils-work-in-progress-selection-for-2024/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601054800/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/05/annecy-festival-unveils-work-in-progress-selection-for-2024/ |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Annecy Festival Unveils Work-in-Progress Selection for 2024|2024}}}} * {{Cite news |date=18 April 2026 |title=China estrena Ran Bi Wa, una animación hecha a mano en plena polémica por la IA |work={{ill|RTS Televisión Santafesina|es|RTS Televisión Santafesina}} |url=https://rtsmedios.com.ar/china-estrena-ran-bi-wa-una-animacion-hecha-a-mano-en-plena-polemica-por-la-ia/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601205337/https://rtsmedios.com.ar/china-estrena-ran-bi-wa-una-animacion-hecha-a-mano-en-plena-polemica-por-la-ia/ |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|China estrena Ran Bi Wa, una animación hecha a mano en plena polémica por la IA|2026}}}} * {{Cite news |date=17 May 2026 |title=China Film Pavilion Returns to Cannes as China Film Co-Production Corporation Presents Over 180 Domestic Films |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2026/biz/news/china-film-pavilion-cannes-presents-over-180-domestic-films-1236749966/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601054042/https://variety.com/2026/biz/news/china-film-pavilion-cannes-presents-over-180-domestic-films-1236749966/ |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|China Film Pavilion Returns to Cannes as China Film Co-Production Corporation Presents Over 180 Domestic Films|2026}}}} * {{Cite news |last=Keast |first=Jackie |date=16 October 2025 |title='The Lost Tiger' nominated for Asia Pacific Screen Award |work=IF Magazine |url=https://if.com.au/the-lost-tiger-nominated-for-asia-pacific-screen-award/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601220108/https://if.com.au/the-lost-tiger-nominated-for-asia-pacific-screen-award/ |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Mao |first=Lina |date=1 May 2026 |title=《燃比娃》的古朴和先锋，都“始于”四十年前 |work=The Paper |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33084551 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601212356/https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33084551 |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Milligan |first=Mercedes |date=10 May 2026 |title='With Tapes and Toasts in the Car' Wins Oscar-Qualifying Prize at ITFS |work=Animation Magazine |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/05/with-tapes-and-toasts-in-the-car-wins-oscar-qualifying-prize-at-itfs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601054518/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/05/with-tapes-and-toasts-in-the-car-wins-oscar-qualifying-prize-at-itfs/ |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Ohara |first=Atsushi |date=24 February 2025 |title=ベルリン映画祭はテレパシー少女の夢を見ない 小原篤のアニマゲ丼 |work=The Asahi Shimbun |url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST2P2HR9T2PUCVL03KM.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601220110/https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST2P2HR9T2PUCVL03KM.html |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Scott |first=Matthew |date=14 May 2026 |title=From ‘Ne Zha 2’ to Hand-Painted Animation, Chinese Cinema Is Rewriting the Rules |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ne-zha-2-hand-painted-animation-china-cinema-rewrites-rules-1236587919/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260531033739/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ne-zha-2-hand-painted-animation-china-cinema-rewrites-rules-1236587919/ |archive-date=31 May 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Shi |first=Ge |date=15 November 2025 |title=第38届中国电影金鸡奖揭晓 《好东西》获得最佳故事片奖 |work=Xinhua News Agency |url=https://www.news.cn/20251115/6c4c323312fd4085b8298312cfdc5d86/c.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601214834/https://www.news.cn/20251115/6c4c323312fd4085b8298312cfdc5d86/c.html |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Sun |first=Jiayin |date=16 January 2025 |title=上美影出品《燃比娃》入围柏林国际电影节 |work=Jiefang Daily |url=https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/html/web/newsDetail.html?id=845987 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601205940/https://www.jfdaily.com/staticsg/res/html/web/newsDetail.html?id=845987 |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Xue |first=Haowen |date=14 April 2026 |title=上美影新片《燃比娃》宣传曲MV曝光 DOUDOU唱响少年无畏热血冒险 |work=Phoenix Television |url=https://i.ifeng.com/c/8sJSTU3HOcH |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601213959/https://i.ifeng.com/c/8sJSTU3HOcH |archive-date=1 June 2026}} * {{Cite news |last=Yao |first=Xinyu |date=14 May 2026 |title=动画电影《燃比娃》阿坝州首映礼在汶川圆满举行 |work=China 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===Web=== * {{Cite web |title=第38届中国电影金鸡奖提名名单 |publisher=Golden Rooster Awards |url=https://www.cgrhfff.com/goldenroosteraward/nomination-list/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601215722/https://www.cgrhfff.com/goldenroosteraward/nomination-list/ |archive-date=1 June 2026 |access-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Golden Rooster Awards}}}} * {{Cite web |date=17 January 2025 |title=祝贺我院设计与媒体艺术系李文瑜老师导演的动画电影《燃比娃》入围柏林国际电影节新生代Kplus竞赛单元 |publisher=Sichuan University |url=https://art.scu.edu.cn/info/1047/10576.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601210715/https://art.scu.edu.cn/info/1047/10576.htm |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Sichuan University}}}} * {{Cite web |title=A Story about Fire |publisher=Red Lotus Asian Film Festival |url=https://red-lotus.org/en/film/a-story-about-fire-en/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601053337/https://red-lotus.org/en/film/a-story-about-fire-en/ |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Red Lotus Asian Film Festival}}}} * {{Cite web |title=A Story About Fire (2025) Awards & Festivals |publisher=Mubi |url=https://mubi.com/en/films/a-story-about-fire/awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601052614/https://mubi.com/en/films/a-story-about-fire/awards |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Mubi}}}} * {{Cite web |title=Ran Bi Wa |publisher=Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2025/programme/202507662.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601052204/https://www.berlinale.de/en/2025/programme/202507662.html |archive-date=1 June 2026 |ref={{harvid|Berlin International Film Festival}}}}
{{refend}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|tt35444105}}
Category:2025 films Category:2025 Chinese films Category:2025 Mandarin-language films Category:2025 animated films Category:Chinese animated feature films