People can’t stop talking about “Bao.” The Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios new animated short is un-dough-tably being thought of as one of the theatrical highlights of the summer. Adorable puns aside, at its core, “Bao” is a heartwarming tale about family, food, tradition, culture and love. The short is making its debut ahead of “Incredibles 2” on June 15, and already, the buzz surrounding the film, has fans wondering what’s next.
Domee Shi not only makes her directorial debut with “Bao,” but also breaks ground as the first woman to ever direct a Pixar short film. The short also reunites Shi with first-time producer Becky Neiman-Cobb, after the two worked together on “Inside Out.” Other key players include Chinese-American production designer Rona Liu, composer Toby Chu, and animation supervisor Juan Carlos Navarro.
Of course, serving not only as an inspiration but also as the film’s consultant, is Shi’s mother: a Chinese-Canadian immigrant and “dumpling master.” In fact, the animators worked directly from footage of her making dumplings in order to help bring the story to life. While the plot follows a Chinese-Canadian woman who is dealing with the pangs of empty nest syndrome when all of a sudden one of her handmade dumplings comes to life (adorable, right?), the beauty actually begins with the title itself. In Chinese, said one way, “Bao” means steamed bun, said another way, it means treasure; or something precious. In other words, there literally could not be a more perfect title for this sweet story about a precious little steamed bun.
The first ingredient to this magical recipe was dreamed up over four years ago when Shi was working as a story artist on “Inside Out,” and, at the time, was looking for a creative side project. With a love for food fairy tales like the “Gingerbread Man,” Shi wanted to do a Chinese version of that with a dumpling instead of a little cookie. “I also wanted to do this story about family and I thought it was the perfect fit because, in Chinese culture, food and family just go hand in hand; especially dumplings,” Shi said during a recent press conference. When you want to show you care about someone or say I love you, you say it with food.
Adorable little Bao baby.
Mom measuring her little one.
Becky Neiman-Cobb, Shi’s Mom, & Domee Shi at the “Bao” press conference.
The second ingredient came from what she knew – which was her own personal experience growing up as an only child. Shi says that ever since she was little, her mom treated her like a precious little dumpling – always watching over her. Making sure she was safe. Coming from a small immigrant family from China living in Toronto, Canada, at the time, her dad was away from home a lot so she spent a lot of time with her mom. “We did everything together,” Shi says. “We ate together; we commuted to work and school together; we even vacationed together…” Her mom was very present in her life and as she started to grow up, Shi says it was hard for her to let go.
When it came to the third and final ingredient, Shi drew from her childhood surroundings – Toronto, Chinatown. It was those vibrant, lively, nostalgic places; that beautiful setting and the equally vibrant residents of Chinatown that Shi really wanted to honor.
On the advice of her mentor, Pete Docter (‘Inside Out’), Shi pitched the project, Pixar loved it and the green light was given. Neiman-Cobb, who had just wrapped production on “Finding Dory,” was thrilled to be on board, too. As the first-time producer had just become a parent herself, she now had her own personal connection to the project and became the “resident expert on all baby things.”
The entire team played their part in bringing this magnificent, mystical tale to life. Inspired by everything from the popular Japanese anime “One Piece,” to classic Chinese folk art and folk figurines, to colors and patterns in clothing, to real-life experiences;“Bao” is an authentic story, crafted with brilliant detail. It leaves the audience with one thing every good story should include – hope for the future.
