Like all Pixar films, there is always one short that precedes the feature. And Incredibles 2 is no different. Before audiences get into the thrill of watching the animated superhero sequel, they will get to see the tasty Bao.
Pixar’s latest short is a play on the fairy tale story of the gingerbread man. In Bao, a Chinese mother is now adjusting to her new life as an empty nest parent. But she gets a second chance at motherhood when one of the baos she made comes to life. From there she learns to care for it as if it were one of her own. The word bao actually has two meanings. One means the delicious title food. Another means treasure. Directed by Domee Shi, the short draws a lot of inspiration from her own upbringing. So it makes sense that she use the dual meanings of Bao in the film to reflect upon her life. Where there was plenty of food and her mother treated her as one of her precious treasures.
We had a chance to talk to Shi and producer Becky Neiman-Cobb about capturing the spirit and Asian culture and putting it into the short, what its like to be the first Asian female director for a Pixar short, the road to becoming a Pixar short, and more below.
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