UK Premiere

Three Seals 三只海豹

MINT Animation Short Strand: My Spectrum, My Shadow, and My Self

Year of Production 2025

Production Countries/Regions Germany China Brazil

Duration 8 mins

Genres Adventure Animation

Dialogue Language(s) Mandarin

Subtitle Language(s) Chinese and English subtitles

Director(s) Dou Dou

Director’s Bio

I am an artist working mainly with hand drawing, textiles, and visual storytelling, currently based in Berlin.

Three Seals is my first film. I am currently working with my second animation film. And I want to make more films in the future.

Synopsis

Setting out to escape insomnia, hunger, and self-doubt. Three seals embarked on a journey about themselves. From ocean to desert, the three seals find nothing. Until they discover Turning Hill. At its peak Piiii receives restful sleep, Giiii finds a plastic bag that conjures food, ending her hunger. But when it is Noodle’s turn, there’s nothing. Ashamed and convinced she is “not good enough,” she drifts back into the sea. Life goes on. Floating aimlessly, Noodle finally glimpses another seal among the seaweed….

Festivals & Awards

2025 MUST International Youth Film Festival & Golden Rooster Film Exhibition in Macao - Animation Section

Scriptwriter(s)

Dou Dou

Producer(s)

Dou Dou

Executive Producer(s)

Dou Dou

Key Casts

Voice performance by Dou Dou

Curators’ note

When anxiety and self-doubt take the form of three endearingly clumsy seals, a journey inward gently unfolds. Rendered in simple, hand-drawn lines, the film invites us to linger with our own vulnerability and quiet strength. More than just an animated work, it offers a calm and steadfast companion, creating a space where one can be seen and accepted, and where the slow practice of making peace with oneself begins. (Zhuyuyue Gao, edited by Xiyun Li)

Director’s Statement

Inspired by the director’s personal experience, Three Seals looks at how life continues with uncertainty, through vulnerability and the inner hardships of daily life.