Kai, a boy who grew up on the streets without ever knowing his father’s face, comes to work as a servant boy in the household of Fei, a girl from a wealthy family. Having long listened to Fei practice the violin, he soon reveals a perfect pitch and prodigious musicality of his own. Bound together by music, the two grow up side by side and form a violin duo, bringing brief moments of joy whether in high-society salons or in the streets where workers gather. But as the shadow of World War II falls over British-colonial Singapore, their beautiful harmony is ultimately swept into the violence of history. Co-directed by Singapore’s Ervin Han and Spain’s Raúl García, The Violinist drew attention by winning the Grand Prize for Feature Film and the Music Award at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Unlikely as it once seemed, their love — etched forever into each other’s lives — meets an inescapable parting before the vast tragedy of war. With delicate handdrawn artistry and classical melodies, the film beautifully and tenderly captures personal memory and the scars of an era. (PARK Sungho)