"Paper Lotus" (2025) Animated Short Film (Final Year Project)

"Paper Lotus" is a short animation film done with my classmate and friend, Meijo Fu, for our final year project. These are some of the film stills.

https://www.artstation.com/meifufu

Synopsis: Amero, a passive and self-indulgent bystander, watches a peaceful protest for the oppressed Lotials from his balcony, crafting a half-hearted paper lotus in solidarity. When the protest is violently dispersed by the city guards, he retreats, shaken and unwilling to act. The next day, he encounters Eris, a defiant Lotial, who confronts him for his hollow support. In a misguided attempt to help, Amero gives Eris his newly purchased energy seed, only to be led into a factory revealing the horrific reality of Lotials awaiting harvest. As Amero grapples with his complicity, the world transforms into a diorama, where unseen players debate the grim outcome of the story. The younger player—disillusioned by the harsh consequences of the choices to be made ahead—abandons the game, leaving the older figure to reset the board once more, symbolising that Amero’s journey is far from over.
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Directors' Statement: With the amount of social issues that are prominent within the world, it quickly becomes overwhelming and difficult to manage. As such, apathy has become commonplace as a coping mechanism. Social activism is a polarizing topic that is often debated on what is the "right" stance to make or take, but the nuanced nature of the subject itself means that there is no absolute answer. When morals and ethics are greatly shaped by subjective experience, it is difficult to reach a consensus. However, it is imperative to understand that there will always be a consequence awaiting one’s decision, be it action or inaction.