Chinese DVD: Three Monks

Three Monks is a Chinese animated feature film produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It is also referred to as Three monks, No Water.

Three Monks is based on the ancient Chinese proverb "One monk will shoulder two buckets of water, two monks will share the load, but add a third and no one will want to fetch water." The proverb is close in meaning to the saying "Let George do it," wryly noting how individuals shirk group responsibilities.

This story teaches a gentle, humorous lesson about responsibility, while the phrase Three Monks, No Water becomes a Chinese expression trotted out when children try to avoid chores.

Three Monks, directed by late cartoonist A Da, won the best animation film in the first Golden Rooster Awards. It also won a Silver Bear for Short Film at the 32nd Berlin Film Festival in 1982, Silver Prize at the 4th Odense International Fairytale Film Festival in Denmark, and Best Film Awards at Portugal International Film Festival.

The film does not contain any dialogues, allowing it to be watched by any culture, and a different music instrument was used to signify each monk.