In the past, when much of Vietnam was impoverished, the Vietnamese made 'tò he' from glutinous rice so that children could sculpt and play with it, then eat it afterward. Children would gather in their village to hear tales illustrated by 'tò he' with different shapes such as heroes, animals, flowers, etc. Against the backdrop of their hardships, they would imagine a colorful universe of fairies and dragons. Since the development of technology, the art of ‘tò he’ has been forgotten. Today, it is barely known by the younger Vietnamese generations.
“Tò He” is a short hand-drawn animation that tells a story about a brother and sister during wartime in Northern Vietnam (1954-75). Every day, the brother creates a new ‘tò he’ for his little sister based on a tutorial book that his father leaves behind before going to war. With an imaginative mind, the little sister escapes into a magical and joyful landscape. However, after finishing all the tutorials in the book, the brother struggles to create a new toy for his sister. After seeing his sister holding the photo of their family, the brother decides to create a toy in the form of the father. The moment he is about to give this new toy to his sister, their father appears at the door and they reunite happily. The story revisits an old tradition of making toys in Vietnam, as well as reflects the poverty and the family-hood in Vietnam during wartime.
The film is deeply influenced by Studio Ghibli and Pixar's movies as well as artists such as Kazuo Oga, Alex Sprouse Art, and 'tò he' artists.