The first woman to direct a Pixar animated short is now an Oscar winner.
Domey Shi’s huge win had students and staff at Sheridan College walking around with a pep in their step not just because she won, but because she won telling her story.
Shi arrived in Canada from China when she was two and based the plot of Bao on her own experiences living with overbearing immigrant parents. It’s a method of storytelling her third year professor David Quenelle says the school lives by.
“Always push them to tell a story that they’re emotionally attached to, that they understand that they’re emotionally attached to and explore their creativity through their own history and own life.”
With her win and now directing a feature-length film for Pixar, Shi’s paved a path for these stories to be heard by the masses.
When Domee Shi’s name was announced, one of the first people she was seen celebrating with was Trevor Jiminez. The Hamilton native’s short animated film ‘Weekends’ was up against ‘Bao’.
