Incredibles 2 has just arrived in theaters and along with it, the new short film, “Bao.” While Pixar releasing a short in front of the feature film is nothing new, “Bao” is the first short film from the studio to be directed by a woman. Domee Shi drew inspiration from her own childhood experiences to tell the story of a dumpling baby and its overprotective mother.
In an interview with TIME, Shi says, “Growing up as an only child, I felt I was that overprotected, mothered little dumpling. My Chinese mom was always making sure I never wandered away too far, that I was safe. I wanted to explore that relationship between this overprotective parent and this child using a Chinese dumpling as a metaphor.” Shi has found a way to tell a compelling story while combining culture, tradition, parenting, and food while maintaining the heartfelt emotion that audiences have come to expect from Pixar.
Cineplex movies posted an interview video with Shi talking about the animation process, finding the perfect look for the food, being the studio’s first female director, pitching the story to Pixar, and deciding to set Bao in a specific place: Toronto.
Even better, if this video has you craving Dim Sum, Shi kindly shared her mother’s dumpling recipe (along with some cute drawings) with TIME. Check it out:
What did you think of Domee Shi’s interview? Do you plan to see “Bao” in theaters? “Bao” is now playing in theaters nationwide ahead of Incredibles 2.