THE VIOLINIST (2026)

Genre: Animation
Director: Ervin Han, Raúl García
Cast: Kheng Hua Tan, Kazuya Tanabe, Adrian Pang, Ayden Sng, Fang Rong, Enrique Arce 
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 17 September 2026

Synopsis: A sweeping historical drama spanning 80 years,The Violinist follows two childhood friends whose lives are forever altered by war, love, and the enduring power of music. As a Spanish reporter seeks to uncover the mystery behind an aging violin legend and her treasured instrument, a forgotten story of love, war, and music begins to emerge. In 1930s Singapore, childhood friends Fei and Kai are bound by an extraordinary gift for music and a shared dream of performing on the world’s greatest stages. But as war and the Japanese occupation tear through Southeast Asia, their lives are shattered. Kai is drawn into the resistance but entrusts his violin to Fei with the promise of returning. Across decades, Fei rises to become a celebrated violinist, yet her music remains haunted by the friend she lost and the past she cannot escape. Until one day… The Violinist is an epic animated story about friendship, sacrifice, and the enduring power of music to carry memory through even the darkest of times.

Movie Review:

The Violinist is a homegrown animation that snagged the prestigious Cristal for a Feature Film at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. For the uninitiated, Annecy is the world’s premier animation festival, often called the “Cannes of Animation”.

While it’s a co-directed effort by Ervin Han and Raul Garcia and features an international crew from Spain, Italy and Singapore, The Violinist remains, at its core, a Singaporean animation with a story that spans the years before and after World War II.

We follow Fei (voiced by Tan Kheng Hua), a celebrated and ageing violinist, as she recalls her childhood story to a Spanish journalist. Taking us back to 1930s Singapore, we see Fei (Fang Rong) growing up in a relatively well-to-do family, where she spends most of her time learning to play the violin. It’s during this time that she befriends Kai (Ayden Sng), the adopted son of Fei’s family servant, Ying Jie. While Kai has never attended any formal lessons, he is certainly a music prodigy and soon becomes Fei’s musical partner for performances.

Years later, as war breaks out, the two lovebirds go their separate ways as Kai decides to join the resistance force led by businessman-turned-guerrilla leader Lim Bo Seng (Adrian Pang) to fight the Japanese in Malaya. Before Kai leaves, he entrusts his beloved violin and an unfinished sonata to Fei. In the meantime, Fei and two orphans whom she takes in find solace under the protection of a sympathetic Japanese soldier, Takeshi Inoue (Kazuya Tanabe), who provides her with a job in the Japanese orchestra.

As much as the story is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War era, it’s actually a sweeping love story that can be easily understood and appreciated by anyone, including an international audience. We are pretty sure locals will be familiar with the stories and events associated with wartime Singapore, because most of us have studied World War II history as part of our education. Thus, The Violinist is no doubt an intimate drama that feels close to our hearts.

Those who are not born in this part of the world or are less acquainted with the cruelty of the Japanese occupation will still be able to appreciate the unspoken love story of Fei and Kai, who are painfully separated by the circumstances of that era.

If you need to nitpick, it’s probably the simplicity of the story and the time it takes to tell it. At some point, however, it reminds us of the sprawling WWII MediaCorp drama series The Price of Peace (1997), with its colourful characters, especially Japanese soldier Takeshi Inoue, who struggles with the ongoing war while longing for his own family. There are also scenes of espionage, with occasional violence thrown in for good measure.

The primarily traditional hand-drawn 2D animation and CG-boosted set pieces might look less accomplished compared to other international animations, but there is still a quiet beauty to it. Watching the olden days of Chinatown, the Majestic Theatre and Boat Quay come to life on the big screen is exceptionally breathtaking. Present-day Singapore, showcasing the Esplanade Theatre and the world-famous Marina Bay skyline, is also a highlight.

Not to belittle the contributions of the graphic artists, but local maestro Ricky Ho, together with Isabel Latorre and musician Joyy, provides a musical score that probably deserves the biggest attention of all. The classical score strikes an emotional chord throughout, and Ho makes sure he does justice to a movie about love and music.

Sceptics are going to compare this with other acclaimed war-related dramas like Grave of the Fireflies or The Wind Rises. But The Violinist stands on its own for its unique historical Southeast Asian setting and a touching love story that spans 80 years.  

Movie Rating:

(A beautiful animated love story equipped with a luscious musical score)

Review by Linus Tee