Hu Jinqing | |
|---|---|
| 胡进庆 | |
| Born | March 1936 |
| Died | 13 May 2019(2019-05-13) (aged 83) Shanghai, China |
| Occupations | Animator, director |
| Notable work | The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam (1983), Calabash Brothers (1986–87) |
| Awards | Golden Rooster Award for Best Animation (1984) Silver Bear for Best Short Film (1984) |
Hu Jinqing (Chinese:胡进庆; March 1936 – 13 May 2019) was a Chinese animator and film director, and a pioneer in adapting the traditional art ofChinese paper cutting to animation. His filmThe Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam won theSilver Bear for Best Short Film at the1984 Berlin International Film Festival. He co-directed the 1980s animated television seriesCalabash Brothers and created the Hulu (Calabash) Babies, which have become some of the most popular animated characters in China.
Hu was born in March 1936[1] inChangzhou,Jiangsu, Republic of China.[2] He joined theShanghai Animation Film Studio in the 1950s as a young artist.[2]
In 1958, he assistedWan Guchan, a founder of China's animation industry, in making the first-everChinese paper cutting animation film,Pigsy Eats Watermelon.[2][3]
In 1983, Hu directed the animated short filmThe Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam, based on the Chinese proverb "in the fight between thesnipe and the clam, the fisherman has the best of it".[4] Hu was praised for bringing "vibrant, entirely believable life" to his animation, with "impeccable" timing that makes the movements of the animals "remarkably real".[4] The film won the 1984Golden Rooster Award for Best Animation.[1] It garnered international attention when it was shown atAnimafest Zagreb[4] and won theSilver Bear for Best Short Film at the1984 Berlin International Film Festival.[5]
In the 1980s, Hu, together withGe Guiyun andZhou Keqin, co-directed the animated television seriesCalabash Brothers. It was extremely popular when aired in 1986 to 1987.[6] The Hulu (Calabash) Babies, the characters they created in the series, have become some of the most popular animated characters in China, exceeded only bySun Wukong.[2]
Hu continued to make animated films until the late 1990s and was an advocate forwildlife conservation. His 1998 film,Snow Fox, has been praised as "a beautifully animated and deeply felt appeal for the protection of the wildlife".[4]
Hu directed more than 10 animated films, three of which won the Excellent Film Award from the Ministry of Culture of China, includingThe Naughty Snub-nosed Monkey,The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam, andThe Straw Man.[1] He also participated in the production of more than 30 animated films, includingThe Proud General,The Fisher Boy,The Ginseng Baby, andThe Golden Conch.[2]
On 13 May 2019, Hu died atShanghai Sixth People's Hospital, at the age of 83.[2][3]
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