Hsin-Ping Pan Talks About BLUE RAIN Interview by Amy Ikeda What was your inspiration for BLUE RAIN?   One day in a coffee shop, I saw a girl crying with her hands covering her face. I couldn’t see her face but I felt that she had the saddest face I ever. That scene is the origin of the story. The floods that happened in certain area of Taiwan also inspired me. I saw on news one day that these floods occur almost every year. It is very awful. While I was watching the news, the yellow little guy suddenly appear and started telling stories about the flood happened in that girl’s eye, which is also his room. Therefore the story began. Have you ever directed or had interest to direct non-animated films? What made you decide to be an animator?   I have never directed a non-animated film. I think animation is a great medium for me to express myself to others. Animation allows me to bring out the imaginary world in my mind and make it visible on a screen and share it with people.    Who or what did the lady who sat on the top of the hill crying, symbolize?   She symbolizes all the sadness.   What is the most import thing that you hope audiences interpret or receive from your short?   When I am crying, I sometimes feel that I split into two parts. Part of me is drowning in all the tears and sadness, but at the same time, another part of me tries to comfort her and tell her that it will be fine and that there are still many great things going on in this world. In BLUE RAIN, that little person symbolize the more courageous me, who refuses to surrender to the sadness and tears and tries to pull the crying girl out of the misery. I hope my film can bring some warmth and happiness to audience.