Deep Sea (film)
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- Tingwen Wang (王亭文)
- Xin Su (苏鑫)
- Kuixing Teng
- Ting Yang
- Jing Ji
- Taochen Fang
| Deep Sea | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| 深海 | |
| Directed by | Tian Xiaopeng (田晓鹏) |
| Screenplay by | Tian Xiaopeng[1] |
| Produced by | Qiao Yi[2] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Mazhiyuan Cheng[4] |
| Edited by | Aner Lin[5] |
| Music by | Mao Buyi Tang Hanxiao MIUMIU |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes[11][12] |
| Country | China |
| Language | Standard Chinese |
| Budget | 200 million RMB[13] |
| Box office | US$136.1 million[14] |
Deep Sea (Chinese: 深海; pinyin: Shēnhǎi) is a 2023 Chinese 3D animated fantasy film, written and directed by Tian Xiaopeng who previously directed Monkey King: Hero Is Back,[15] co-produced by his company October Media and Coloroom Pictures.
A young girl explores a strange underwater environment.[16] Shenxiu, a little girl whose parents were recently divorced goes on a sea trip with her new family. Still not having dealt with not having her mother around, she hears a hum similar to a song her mother used to sing and by following the sound she enters the fantastical Deep Sea Restaurant, a chaotic, submarine-style eatery run by Nanhe, a manic and gold-obsessed chef and crewed by sea animals serving humanoid fish. In reality, during a violent storm at sea, she believes she hears her mother’s voice calling to her from the ocean.[17]
Nanhe is initially hostile toward Shenxiu because her sadness attracts the "Red Phantom," a suffocating, shroud-like entity that destroys everything in its path. However, after realizing the Hyjinx can produce a magical soup ingredient, Nanhe agrees to take Shenxiu to the "Deep Sea Eye" to find her mother in exchange for her help in the kitchen.
As they journey, Shenxiu and Nanhe form a deep bond. Nanhe, despite his abrasive and greedy exterior, reveals himself to be a fellow social outcast who uses humor and theatrics to mask his own hardships. He encourages Shenxiu to fight her depression and to find the strength to smile even when life is difficult. When they eventually reach the Deep Sea Eye, the Red Phantom launches a final, overwhelming attack. Nanhe uses all his strength and magical energy to tear open the Eye, sacrificing himself to ensure Shenxiu reaches the center.
It is revealed that the underwater world was a subconscious hallucination. In reality, Shenxiu had fallen into the ocean during the storm, and Nanhe, in reality a struggling street performer who was selling books on the cruise ship, had jumped in to save her. They spent hours adrift in the freezing water clinging to a life buoy. To keep Shenxiu conscious and motivated to stay alive, Nanhe told her the fantastical stories that formed the basis of her dream.
In the final sequence, Shenxiu stands in a white void between life and death. She sees Nanhe one last time; though she tearfully begs to stay with him, he pushes her back toward the light, urging her to live. By the time the two are spotted and pulled from the water by a rescue team, Nanhe has exhausted himself and succumbed to the extreme cold. Shenxiu eventually wakes up in a hospital, surrounded by her family.
Original voice cast
- Su Xin (苏鑫) as Nanhe
- Wang Tingwen (王亭文) as Shenxiu
- Teng Kuixing
- Yang Ting
- Ji Jing (吉静)
- Fang Taochen (方韬辰)
- Dong Yi (董一)
Release
Deep Sea was scheduled for release on 22 January 2023 (Chinese New Year).[18]
It was nominated for screening as part of Generation Kplus at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival[15] as well as for screening as Animation category at 36th Tokyo International Film Festival.[19]
