My grandmother is now 85 years old. Her experience makes her a living history book to me. Thus, I took some excerpts from her stories and made those into animations, narrated by her own voice.
Born in 1939 in a small countryside in Hebei, China, her early life unfolded around WWII. She grew up migrating frequently due to the war and thus forego formal education, leaving her illiterate to this day. Her Journey through momumental events like WWII and the Cultural Revolution in China offerrs a personal glimpse into the modern Chinese history. Raised under her care, I was regaled with vivid tales from the Cultural Revolution, her encounters with my grandfather, and the familial separations due to his medical profession.
Those stories were painful but serve as invaluable insights into the history unrecorded in textbooks. Her storytelling, delivered in her soft voice with a distinct northern Chinese accent, has always filled me with admiration.
To me, my grandmother is more than an ordinary elderly lady from a remote Chinese village. She is a respectful great figure as she raised up her five children and tirelessly supported her family. Yet, in today's tech-driven society, I find her increasingly alienated due to her inability to read or engage with digital content independently. Her world now revolves around TV and sharing her stories with her grandchildren. I always remember her sitting on the sofa, fanning herself with a cattail leaf fan, absorbed in old soap dramas until she gets tired.
