Netflix’s highly anticipated Chinese animation, Over The Moon, has arrived on its platform since 23rd October 2020, just in time to watch with your children this half term! To celebrate the release of the brand-new animated film, Netflix has been working alongside Chinatown districts to display a series of magical lanterns illuminating in Gerrard St and Newport Place, London, and The Arcadia, Birmingham until 15th November 2020.
The installations celebrate the folklore of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival through the lens of the new animated film, which tells the story of the Moon Goddess through the eyes of determined young girl Fei Fei. There will be over fifty striking lanterns across two cities, over two metres long, all hand-crafted by the Liverpool-based Lantern Company, the team behind many of London’s Lumiere Festival displays and lantern installations around the world. The lanterns will illuminate Chinatown each evening and depict the fantastical journey to the moon made by Fei Fei and her companion Bungee in a giant rocket. There are other lanterns depicting Foo Dogs, Moon Frogs, Jade Rabbit and Lunarian creatures, with each installation culminating in a stunning depiction of the moon bearing the image of the Moon Goddess.
If you have some free time or looking for things to with your children, why not pop over to London or Birmingham Chinatown to see the display! Alongside this, you will be able to visit local businesses and trial some of the fantastic delicacies that the area has to offer, such as bakeries, restaurants and dessert vendors in Chinatown London developing limited edition items to celebrate themes and characters from the film. The lanterns illumination is designed and installed in line with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and in close collaboration with local authorities. You can enjoy this event safely while following the latest Government guidelines.
Over The Moon is directed by Oscar-winner Glen Keane. It is available to watch in UK cinemas (subject to COVID 19 restrictions) today and also on Netflix! Definitely great news for regular Netflix subscribers, like us! We can’t live without Netflix! I always use it to watch my Asian drama series and films!
Over The Moon is about a bright young girl who is fueled with determination and a passion for science. She builds her own rocket ship in a search to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. The film stars Cathy Ang (Fei Fei), Phillipa Soo (Chang’e), Robert G. Chiu (Chin), Ken Jeong (Gobi), John Cho (Dad), Ruthie Ann Miles (Mom), Margaret Cho (Auntie Ling), Kimiko Glenn (Auntie Mei), Artt Butler (Uncle), and Sandra Oh (Mrs. Zhong).
We were delighted to receive this very special Over The Moon gift box to celebrate this film! My daughter had fun making her own rockets, paper lantern, reading the Over The Moon – Let Love In book and playing with the doll. While Mabel, our lovely dog, managed to bag herself the rabbit soft toy, Bungee! There is also this amazing colour-in rocket to entertain them this half term!
Do check out the film in cinemas or you can catch it on Netflix if you are a subscriber! You won’t be disappointed learning more about Chinese culture! You can also read my blog post here: https://etspeaksfromhome.co.uk/2013/09/chinese-mid-autumn-festival-or-mooncake-festival.html
Or check out my snow skin mooncake recipe here: https://etspeaksfromhome.co.uk/2014/09/swiss-roll-snow-skin-mooncake.html
Throughout the run of the installations, you can support charities MediCinema and London Chinese Community Centre, through an Interactive Donate Wall in London’s Chinatown, on Newport Court. MediCinema builds and runs state-of-the-art cinemas in NHS hospitals, with space for beds, wheelchairs and medical equipment. While Over the Moon is playing in cinemas and on Netflix, MediCinema will also be screening it in hospitals for NHS patients for whom a visit to a cinema is a real source of comfort and distraction, particularly in these difficult times. London Chinese Community Centre provides the utmost support and attention to the local Chinese community across welfare and benefits support and advice, language classes, arts and culture, elderly support, youth activities and numerous fundraising events.
You can donate to MediCinema or LCCC by visiting the Over the Moon Interactive Wall, or visiting https://www.medicinema.org.uk/donate or https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/cccorguk2020
Disclosure: We received the parcel for the purposes of writing this post, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own. Images used with permission.