I just recently came to our attention that Disney/Pixar has released Bao in its entirety online. In case you haven't seen it yet, or feel like re-watching it and weeping big wet salty soy sauce tears.
Domee Shi's acclaimed animated short, which preceded The Incredibles 2 in theaters, centers on an empty-nesting Chinese mom who gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life. But she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever.
Check it out:
Heartwarming moments are meant to be shared. Bring home behind-the-scenes, exclusive footage from Bao and 10 other critically-acclaimed shorts when you get the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 3 on Digital, @Movies_Anywhere, and Blu-ray today: https://t.co/aNv3akp3OZ pic.twitter.com/hpnroh4xtm
— Disney•Pixar (@DisneyPixar) November 23, 2018
Several years in the making, Bao is a personal fairy tale inspired by Domee Shi's own upbringing, culture and family. And of course, food. Born in China and raised in Toronto, Shi is the first woman at Pixar to direct a short film. She's currently in the early stages of developing her debut feature.
Consider this: Crazy Rich Asians, which defied all odds and made a ton of money, was certifiably the most significant stride for Asian American representation in Hollywood in decades, by many measures. But Bao, which played in front of The Incredibles 2 -- currently the number 3 film of 2018, earning over $600 million at the domestic box office -- was the arguably the most-watched Asian (North) American story at the movies this year.
Bao is available as part of the recently released home video compilation, Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 3 (Amazon, iTunes), which also includes one of our other Pixar favorites, Sanjay's Super Team (2015).