The picture book classroom at the Wuxi Children's Palace in Jiangsu province is a kind of creative dream factory, guided by a "dream maker" named You Minhong. She believes that picture books help shape children's perceptual awareness, enabling them to discover life's beauty while nurturing a steady flow of surprise, vitality, and limitless potential for growth. As the film puts it: "Our art education isn't just about training professional artists—it's about cultivating well-rounded individuals."
During the filming, young director Hal Nathan from the United States, in his interactions with children, was transported back to his own childhood. The children participating in the picture book class picked up Hal's camera and became directors themselves. It seemed difficult to define who was filming and who was being filmed, but the entire process merged together, with everyone contributing and becoming photographers.
Hal, with his sincere and clever design, skillfully resolves the binary opposition of filming and being filmed. Finally, through the specific picture book creation of a child, in the restrained yet warm Jasmine guitar performance, this understanding is elevated to the climax.
