Domee Shi — the creative mind behind the beloved 2017 Pixar short Bao about a woman’s bao coming to life and being raised from childhood to adulthood — has done it again, this time with a full-length film. Turning Red’s ambitious take on how young girls navigate their life shows Mei Lee balancing family, friends, and responsibilities.
Not only is Shi the first woman to solo-direct a Pixar film, but she also surrounded herself with a diverse set of female creatives including Lindsey Collins, Danielle Feinberg, Sabine Koch, Rona Liu, Lisa Fotheringham, and Patty Kihm. Producer Lindsey Collins remarked that “There was something about the confidence of having so many women in leadership positions on the [film] that, I think, let us be a little bit bolder with some of the choices we were making and not second guess it before we even got it through story or through editorial.” Some of these bolder choices include the discussion of menstruation and how those awkward puberty moments play out for young girls in middle school. These women had the comfort level and the freedom to make decisions about including these topics in the movie without feeling like the men in the room were talking over them.
Turning Red was more than just a passion project for Shi. The collaboration of this female led creative team is mirrored by the well-developed friendship between the four best friends. While the major conflict of the story centers heavily on Mei’s life, the side characters feel fleshed out, each embodying a unique personality that complements the group as a whole. The people behind this film, similarly, bounced ideas off of each other and their creativity was able to flourish because of the positive environment fostered by the leadership on the project.
The team has created a dynamic coming of age film that not only looks into the home life and familial relationships of the main character Mei but also explores the beauty of friendship through Mei’s friend group. Watching Mei work through her struggles, experience significant growth, and find her independence is so heartwarming. Shi used many of her own roots as inspiration for the characters and the setting of the movie, putting her personal touch on what can still be understood as a universally relatable story.
The movie represents a continuation in the recent trend of movies made for young audiences expanding and diversifying their content. Similarly to the recent successful animated movie-musical Encanto, which explored the complexities of generational trauma through song and dance, Turning Red takes on yet another familial relationship dynamic by looking at the ways in which children can feel pressure to be continuously perfect to please others. The inclusion of cultural diversity in the movies being released by Disney and Pixar allows viewers to see the beloved story arcs that have become a staple in children’s movies through a new lens. The creative teams diversifying as well — like Domee Shi and the rest of the women behind Turning Red — makes this all possible.
https://www.insider.com/pixar-turning-red-all-female-leadership-team-2022-1
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/12/turning-red-director-domee-shi-was-a-pixar-intern-11-years-ago.html
Thanks for sharing this Jackie! I loved the short, Bao, that Domee Shi created and I’ve seen it many times. I had no idea that the team of creatives behind Turning Red were mainly women. I’ve watched many movies where the side characters have no depth and aren’t well thought out, but it’s encouraging to see how Shi and her team created a personality and story line for the side characters as well. I love hearing stories where a team collaborated and it helped produce an even better creation. I haven’t seen Turning Red yet, but I’m excited to watch it!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to see Turning Red but after reading about the team of women creatives that put this movie together I plan on going to see it! I love that the support of an all-women team allowed for a bolder take on reflecting teen-girl struggles.
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