Bao

A Chinese mother struggling with the sadness of her adult children leaving home finds a new purpose when one of her handmade dumplings comes to life. The story follows the evolving relationship between the woman and the spirited dumpling boy as he grows from an infant into a young man.

This 2018 animated short from Pixar was written and directed by Domee Shi. It is the first of three films directed by Shi, followed by Turning Red in 2022 and Elio in 2025. The voice cast includes Sindy Lau as the mother, Daniel Kailin as the son, Tim Zhang as the father, and Sharmaine Yeoh.

The film blends elements of comedy, drama, and fantasy within its eight-minute runtime. It has been well received by audiences, maintaining a consistent rating of 7.5/10 on both IMDb and TMDB. The score on IMDb is based on 36,000 votes, while the TMDB rating comes from 1,350 votes.