Midlands Review of Statue in the Garden
Statue in the Garden
Directed by Qianhui Yu
2026
Statue in the Garden is an animated short film that has the same charm and quaintness as a Studio Ghibli movie. In the film, the protagonist, Didi, has made a great leap from her home in China to the Midlands city of Stoke-on-Trent – a place with a deep historical connection to a world-renowned and thriving pottery and ceramics industry.
Upon arriving, Didi is immediately ostracized and made to feel lonely in her new home. She’s met with a house that was not in the condition it was described to be in and a neighbour that she can’t connect with. Right from the start, things seem to be falling apart around her.
That is until she discovers a small ceramic statue in the back garden of her new home. This enchanted statue takes Didi on an unexpected journey through time where she learns to appreciate the unique history of this British town.
Qianhui Yu, director and writer of Statue in the Garden, along with her incredible team quickly establish themselves as amazing storytellers within the first few seconds of the film. The 2D hand-drawn animation style is vibrant and colourful, with clean black lines and silhouettes that don’t pressure themselves into perfection, making the world feel dimensional and alive.
The animation artists employ a use of mixed media that adds depth to the world the film takes place in. Parts of the background are outlined in a thin black pen and then given colour and dimension by using watercolour, while objects in the foreground such as Didi’s house are given texture through layering coloured pencils and crayons. This artistic choice allows the viewer to create distance in their mind and is an impeccable tool for world-building.
Though the film has no dialogue, the musical score acts as a character of its own and subtly changes as different events occur to build suspense and create emotion, which I think works very well.
Outside of the animation style, the story of Statue in the Garden is very heartfelt, highlighting the hardships of uprooting your life and moving somewhere new. While on her historical journey, Didi discovers something that reminds her of home and shows her that while things may seem harrowing, her heritage cannot be destroyed. It is this epiphany that allows Didi to overcome the challenges she faced upon first moving to Stoke and bring life to the world that was once falling apart around her.
Statue in the Garden is absolutely charming, picturesque, and tells a beautiful story of identity, history and home.
★★★★★
5 / 5
Angelique Ritter
