Cultural Identity and Historical Nostalgia in Animated Film

Abstract

This article examines the aspects and implications of nostalgia and historical nostalgia in animated films, based on the case study of the 2001 Hong Kong animation My Life As McDull, directed by Toe Yuen. The investigation includes three components: a discussion around the notion of historical nostalgia, a survey of professional animators with the audience’s expectations and its perception of animated films, and an analysis of the mechanisms the movie utilizes to address the concepts of shared memory, local culture and sense of identity. The paper establishes connections between the animation’s visual elements, the notion of positive memory, and their socio-cultural implications. The results present data findings, as well as an analysis of the cinematic effects of conceptual and aesthetical processes to induce nostalgia through storytelling, concluding with their cultural and social resonance.