An aging Chinese mother suffering from empty-nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life in Disney-Pixar’s new animated short Bao. The film, directed by Domee Shi, will screen with the company’s Incredibles 2, which launches on June 15.
Shi, who has worked on such films as Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, drew inspiration for Bao from her upbringing as an only child in a Chinese-Canadian family in Toronto’s bustling Chinatown. She explained that bao has two meanings in Chinese: said one way, it means “dumpling,” but said another way, it means “treasure” or “something precious.”
“Ever since I was little, my mother has always treated me like her precious little baby dumpling, always watching over me, making sure I was safe, making sure I had a good education and got into a good college,” says Shi. “Growing up, she’d always make dumplings for me from scratch. Food was how my mom showed her love, and we’ve always had this special connection making dumplings together on weekends and holidays and Chinese New Year.”
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