A young girl and her father leave everything familiar behind when they move to Canada from China. The only piece of home they bring with them is a Chinese violin. As they face the huge challenges of starting new lives in a new place, the music of the violin connects them to the life they left behind - and guides the girl to a musical future. The Chinese Violin is part of the NFB's Talespinners collection. Created for children aged five to nine, Talespinners uses vibrant animation to bring popular stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen.

Based on the book The Chinese Violin by Madeleine Thien, published by Whitecap Books in 2001. Also available in French "Le violon chinois".