How 'Bao' director Domee Shi stayed true to her 'weird' idea and created a specifically Asian story
Much like a delicious dumpling before a hearty meal, "Bao" is the bite-sized animated film audiences see before "Incredibles 2." But more than just a Pixar appetizer, the short is a whimsical love letter to mothers as well as food. It just happens to be wrapped in a package so adorable you want to eat it.
Directed by Domee Shi, "Bao" centers on a Chinese mother with a case of empty-nest syndrome. She gets a second chance at motherhood when one of the dumplings she made comes to life as a tiny, giggly baby.
The Chinese Canadian filmmaker took inspiration from her own life as a child of immigrants when crafting the short, a story Shi first started working on over four years ago.
"I was digging through my art folder at
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