A final gift. A feast for the living.
Long, long ago, a people with tails live in the woods. At her own funeral feast, a grandmother severs her tail and offers it to her descendants.
Rather than reconstruct a prehistoric past, Qiu imagines the everyday lives of ancestors through food, bodies and the act of sharing.
A final gift.
For the living.
Grandma prepares for her own death. In a world imagined before written records, she offers her tail to those who will go on living, turning a farewell into a meal shared across generations.
MEET THE FAMILY ↘A grandmother, her descendants and one last meal to prepare.
Grandma's tail becomes the food of her farewell feast. Fourth Girl prepares it under her guidance, while Mo’er ventures into the woods for the honey that finishes the dish.
Cut the fresh tail into chunks. Fry it in silkworm-pupa oil, seasoning with mulberry leaves and other ancient spices. Simmer slowly until tender, then finish with a little honey.
An imagined recipe from the supplied FUXI feast foldout, not a historical reconstruction.FILM FOOD & RECIPE · ADAPTED FROM THE SUPPLIED FUXI FEAST FOLDOUT.
A guide to the people and ideas behind the funeral feast, for those who want to read further.
In this imagined prehistoric world, the tail is part of the body and a treasured food. This is a metaphor invented for the film, not a documented ancient custom.
SOURCES: EXHIBITION DICTIONARY · TALE I; DIRECTOR INTERVIEW IN PRESS KIT.The oldest member of the tailed community faces death on her own terms. She makes her burial garment and guides the preparation of her last feast, ensuring that the people who remain can carry on.
SOURCES: EXHIBITION DICTIONARY · TALE I; FILM PRESS KIT.Grandma’s granddaughter is the family’s gifted cook. She keeps daily life running and, with Grandma’s guidance, prepares the final dish. Her care and skill are another form of inheritance.
SOURCE: EXHIBITION DICTIONARY · TALE I. SHORTENED FOR GENERAL READERS.A mischievous young food lover, Mo’er sets out to steal a giant honeycomb for Grandma’s farewell meal. The finishing touch comes at a painful cost.
SOURCE: EXHIBITION DICTIONARY · TALE I. SHORTENED FOR GENERAL READERS.A celebration of death becomes a gesture toward the continuity of life, through one last act of sharing. The meal belongs to the film’s imagined culture rather than a reconstruction of a verified prehistoric Sichuan ritual.
SOURCES: EXHIBITION DICTIONARY · TALE I; FUXI PRESS KIT.No one can know exactly how these imaginary ancestors cooked or lived. Qiu Jiongjiong begins with questions about everyday life in distant Sichuan and answers them through painting, performance and invention.
SOURCE: DIRECTOR INTERVIEW IN FUXI PRESS KIT. THIS IS NOT A CLAIM ABOUT DOCUMENTED PREHISTORY.EDITORIAL NOTE · These are concise website entries adapted from the exhibition dictionary and the press kit. The first story’s tailed ancestors and rituals are artistic inventions, not documented prehistoric customs.
Return to Qiu's original world, set and character drawings.
From the imagined world to the film: hover over the drawing to reveal the corresponding cinematic landscape. Tap on touchscreens.
Original drawings and character designs from the production. The drawing-to-film comparison above remains interactive.