Intro for June 19, 2025

Dear Gossips,   

Pixar’s Elio premieres tomorrow and as I mentioned last week in my post about Celine Song and Materialists, this will be the second weekend in a row that a Hollywood film directed by an Asian Canadian woman opens in wide release. Which is historic! 

Domee Shi co-directed Elio alongside Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina. Wait, let me correct that, and show her the proper respect, because it’s Oscar winner Domee Shi. Domee became the first woman to direct a short film for Pixar and, of course, then went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2019. I remember vividly the first time I saw Bao, and it may have been the only time I’ve wept that much after an eight minute film.

Three years later, Domee did it again with Turning Red, becoming the first woman to direct a Pixar feature film. I also cried during Turning Red. So I guess it was no surprise going three for three when I saw Elio a couple of weeks ago. There’s one scene in particular, it is embarrassing how hard I sobbed, sobbed in the moment and then closed the door to my office when I got back from the screening and sobbed again just thinking about it. I’m about to cry right now remembering it. Also I love Glordon so much, forget Labubu, I want a Glordon! 

It's an extraordinary gift, to be able to elicit such strong responses through animation, and Domee Shi is f-cking gifted, one of Canada’s most talented storytellers, and she’s only 35 years old. She has so many more stories to tell. 

Attached – Domee in Paris the other day promoting the film in a great pair of Loewe pants. 

 

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey