A visually striking animated short explores PTSD, communication barrier, and self-discovery in female sexuality.
Award-winning director Xinhui Ma debuts her latest short film, Flamingo in the Garden, an evocative, hand-crafted animated piece produced by a global collective of women animators. The film, currently on the festival circuit, has been recognized for its bold visual style and deeply personal storytelling.
Set in a dreamlike world of shifting perspectives and vivid textures, Flamingo in the Garden follows a Chinese girl’s emotional journey of growth after breaking her leg in Morocco. Blending surrealism with grounded emotional depth, the film draws from real-life experiences to create an immersive, sensory narrative.
“I wanted to capture the feeling of being between cultures, between places, and between states of mind,” says Xinhui Ma who is also the lead animator on this film, “Animation is not just about creating movement—when working on an indie project, it inherently becomes a marathon, it’s all about the people you make it with and the person you become afterwards.”
The film’s production team spans multiple countries, uniting more than 100 women animators across the U.S. and China, and beyond. With an intricate mix of hand-drawn 2D animation and experimental storytelling techniques using mesmerizing transitions, Flamingo in the Garden pushes the boundaries of contemporary animated storytelling.
Following its festival premiere run, the film will be released online, with plans for curated screenings and potential distribution through select platforms.
Flamingo in the Garden’s Official Page
