SNAPSHOT
Set in a world of magical realism, Wind sees a grandmother and her grandson trapped deep down an endless chasm, scavenging debris that surrounds them to realize their dream of escaping to a better life.” Wind is both written and directed by animator / filmmaker Edwin Chang, who has been working as a simulation artist / simulation supervisor for Pixar since 2006 – on the films Up, Brave, Inside Out, and Soul. (synopsis courtesy First Showing)
It’s no secret that Pixar is beautifully adept at crafting stories that illuminate the very deepest, best and sometimes harrowing parts of what it means to be human.
But Wind, one of the newest Pixar SparkShort films, now streaming on Disney + and available on YouTube, is a real gem, a film that showcases what it means to selflessly love someone, to dream and act together and to give up what you need for the sake of someone else.
It also has another altogether serious aim, all the more important in the light of the recent horrific killing of Asian American women in Atlanta, as this message from Pixar, quoted by First Showing, says.
“Pixar Animation Studios and the SparkShorts filmmakers of Wind are in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms. We are proud of the onscreen representation in this short and have decided to make it widely available, in celebration of what stories that feature Asian characters can do to promote inclusion everywhere.”
It breaks your heart to think that there could be such evil in the world that would necessitate this kind of message but it is heartening, deeply heartening, that films like this exist to counter the dark with light and to show the rich humanity that exists in every single person and culture, and how that should be celebrated always.
Wind is currently streaming on Disney Plus.