A short film is making history as the first female directed short added to Pixar's roster. Bao, a tale about an adorable Chinese dumpling, is directed by the Canadian artist Domee Shi, who has previously worked on Pixar animated projects including Inside Out, Incredibles 2, and the highly-anticipated Toy Story 4.
While the short starts out as a lovable tale about a childless Chinese-Canadian woman who finds a family in a cute little dumpling she made, the short has a twist ending that Domee Shi thought might be too heartbreaking for Pixar’s usually uplifting shorts.
“I was afraid that it would be too dark and too weird of a story to tell at Pixar, but I pitched it to Pete Docter [‘Inside Out’] and he became a champion,” stated Shi. “He said it was cool and different and encouraged me to keep the twist ending.” Instead of Shi’s ending being cut, the emotional ending of Bao became the reason the short received the go-ahead from Pixar.
The producer Becky Neiman-Cobb explained further the cultural and emotional significance Bao contributes to the long list of Pixar shorts that came before it:
“It’s specific and a cultural piece, but the themes of family are universal, so I think that’s another thing our leadership was drawn to. It’s cute and weird.”
Bao airs before showings of Incredibles 2, but a clip from the short film can also be seen here.
Incredibles 2 is now playing in theaters so be sure to get to the theater early and support this historical short!
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