Analysis Of Play In The Children’s Films Of China Since The 21th Century

Play refers to people voluntarily dedicate to non-profit creation through physical activities,adjusting the conflict between themselves and the outside world harmoniously.Featured for pleasure,freedom,creativity and practice,it shows the vitality of children,and is an important aesthetic of children’s films.Films that lay emphasis on play is in line with children’s nature of pursuing happiness and their cognitive patterns which focus on physical actions.They enhance children’s self-affirmation,release their inner stress and develop their personality by creation,with the entertaining and inspiring aesthetic that go beyond instrumentalism.Therefore such films can truly represent the voice of children.Since the 21^thcentury children’s films in China have made many achievements.Meanwhile,some of them still have problems including having too mach utilitarianism and adult like thinking model in the narrative that deviate from children’s perspectives.Analyzing play spirit can help children’s film creators achieve a balance between educational and aesthetic value.This paper analyzes the children’s films in China since 21^thcentury from the aspect of play,whose value should be emphasized to enhance children’s perspectives in children’s films.The paper expounds the four main characteristics of play to prove its value in children’s film,following by several case analysis of Chinese children’s films in 21^thcentury that apply or lack play in their narration.Finally,it discuss how the short film named"When You Hear the Fish Sings"emphasis play as a way to respect children’s perspective in a film about left-behind children.