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Entertainment May 5, 2020
Take a moment for a little happy cry...
Image courtesy of Pixar Animation StudiosI’ve had my fair share of animated short film binges, where I would literally click on animated shorts one after the other on YouTube, for hours…crying.
When the long-awaited “Incredibles 2” movie started in the theatre, Pixar released an animated short to play before the feature presentation. Written and animated by Domee Shi, the short film, “Bao,” received just as much critical acclaim as “Incredibles 2.”
Beyond the spectacular animation, “Bao” was most celebrated for its “original” and diverse storyline, which follows the ebbs and flows of a Chinese immigrant family’s mother-son relationship. Its popularity made one thing clear: diversity is necessary!
Mainstream media companies have historically steered away from the minority-centered storyline. However, in recent years, studios are starting to meet the demand for representation! With just a taste of what meaningful diversity could look like in mainstream media from Shi’s work, people were able to visualize the successes that come from diversity in creative fields.
From a long list of my favorite feel-good shorts, here are some of my top picks:
“Bao” is an Oscar-winning Animated Short about a Chinese-Canadian mother grappling with her newfound loneliness after her son moves out. She soon grows attached to a homemade steamed bun (aka. “bao”). The bun comes to life and the protagonist sees it as another chance at motherhood.
Domee Shi, a Chinese-born Canadian herself, became the first female director of a Pixar short. She unapologetically crafts this film around her immigrant experience. She is constantly creating cool content, so check her out!
“Sanjay’s Super Team” is another Pixar-produced animated short, written and directed by Sanjay Patel.
Based on his childhood, Patel writes about himself as a young boy obsessed with a superhero show called “Super Team.” His father, in the same room, is meditating but keeps getting distracted by the loud noises coming from Sanjay’s TV show.
The animation follows this tension between Sanjay and his father, as well as the struggle between the Western world and Hindu traditions. Eventually forced to meditate, Sanjay finds himself in an imagination sequence where these two worlds collide.
Written and directed by Kristen Lester, “Purl” is about discrimination in the workplace and assimilating to toxic office cultures as a means of survival.
Lester creatively illustrates her experience, and the experience of many others, as a woman in a male-dominated setting.
“In a Heartbeat” was written and directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David. They funded this project on Kickstarter and it became so famous that it was considered for an Academy Award for “Best Animated Short Film. “
The video received more than 40 million views on Youtube. Critics internationally praised the film for its LGBTQ+ centered storyline. The short follows a young closeted teenage boy, who has a crush on a popular boy at school. His heart jumps from his chest and literally forces him to make the first move.
Taiko Studio is an international animation studio founded in 2017 and is committed to sharing cross-cultural stories. They famously produce works that prioritize cultural awareness.
In 2018, they released “One Small Step.“ an animated short that follows a bright-eyed, Chinese-American girl named Luna, who dedicates her whole life to becoming an astronaut. Despite being from humble immigrant beginnings, her father gives his unwavering support.
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, Luna and her father’s relationship fluctuates as she grapples with reality and adulthood.
Although this is just a small sector of media, representation of all different backgrounds matters. It very much broadens the definition of creativity! However, we still have a lot of work to do.
During my research process, I tried to find animated shorts created by a variety of different racial and ethnic groups. I tried searching specifically for shorts about Black experiences, but I couldn’t find any. This is a problem and we can’t be complacent about it. We have to fight for more resources given to Black artists/writers/creators/directors.
Changing what we (and many future generations) see on the screen will open up real possibilities for compassion and understanding.
