The animated film Three Monks was made by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1980 and directed by Xu Jingda, known as A Da. It has no dialogue. It is based on a folk saying: “One monk carries water on a pole. Two monks carry it between them. Three monks have no water to drink.”
The film won the Golden Rooster Award for best animated film and a Silver Bear at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival.