I Am What I Am

Gyun is an outsider who leads a lonely existence with his grandfather in the countryside. While his parents work night and day in the city to keep the family afloat, Gyun dreams of taking part in the traditional Lion Dance competition to win fame and honour. Since the Lion Dance requires a team of three, he spontaneously recruits the lazy Kat and ravenous Doggie for his venture.

In order to learn the necessary skills, the awkward trio seeks out the fishmonger Qiang. In his youth, Qiang himself was a gifted lion dancer, until he had to give up his career due to lack of money. Although initially suspicious, he is impressed by the teenagers’ perseverance and begins to train them. But shortly before the big tournament, an accident involving Gyun’s father threatens to destroy the group’s dream. And Gyun is forced to choose between his passion for dance and his obligation to his family.

The Lion Dance, in which people wearing ornate costumes imitate the movements of a lion, combines martial arts with music. It ranks among one of the most important and oldest traditions in China. Thanks to martial arts films like Jackie Chan’s “The Young Master” or Tsui Hark’s “Once Upon a Time in China III”, it has also become a symbol of agility and body control in the West. “I Am What I Am” celebrates the art form with dynamic animations that ingeniously capture the nuances of dance, and at the same time tells an endearing underdog story. Director Sun Haipeng does not shy away from portraying the difficult social conditions with which many young people in China are confronted, lending his work an intensity rarely found in sports films. (Mischa Haberthür)