Synopsis
This is the story of a chubby man living in a world dominated by slender figures. Jobless and rejected at every turn, he struggles to find his place. When he jumps into a collapsing pit to rescue passengers in a stranded vehicle, he finally discovers a job that suits him.
Li Ruoyan
LI Ruoyan is an Associate Professor at the School of Art and Design at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, where he also supervises postgraduate students. As the head of the animation major, he is a member of the Digital Art and Animation Committee of the China University Film and Television Society, the China Animation Association, and the International Animation Association. LI participated in the creation of a 5-episode TV documentary series titled CHUN WAN, which won the Outstanding TV Documentary Award at the 26th China TV Golden Eagle Awards. He also directed a 2D animated short film titled XXXL, which was selected for the main competition section of the 19th Athens Animation Festival in 2024. His collaborators on XXXL include XU Shaochong, LIU Shiran, and LI Meng.
Director's statement
What hardships does a marginalized person face when seeking a job? A plump individual, constantly worried about others, is seen as an outsider in a community where slimness is the norm. His self-perception starkly contrasts with the external judgments he receives. During a ground collapse incident, he jumps into a deep pit without hesitation to rescue passengers trapped in a car and eventually secures a job. As the story unfolds, the audience will grasp the movie’s theme, “never judge a book by its cover,” and witness the little girl in the rescue recognizing his true character.
