other country's culture

[Cathy]

Recently, I watched Kung Fu Panda from Dreamworks.
They show Chinese kung fu in that movie.
As Chinese, I feel that is fun to see others talk about my own culture.
I hope Pixar can try that in the future!!
Besides Chinese culture, which culture do you want to see in Pixar's animations?
I would love to see Indian culture

[Princess_Darkness]

Oh I'm going to love this topic...one culture I would love to see in any Pixar films is that of the Hispanic culture...let's face some facts, there are not too many movies out there that takes Hispanics and doesn't try to stereotype us unfortunately and it would be nice to see a movie studio take a shot at presenting the culture in a more positive light. Being a Hispanic, I am proud of my race and heritage, I may not be able to speak Spanish to save my life but who I am and where my ancestors came from does matter to me. This could be part of the reason why I'm looking forward to TS3 since Buzz turns into Spanish Buzz and judging from the trailers, how he's acting isn't done to show the negative side to the Spanish culture but more of the positive side. It also makes me wonder if Pixar even goes to the lengths of hiring an actual Spanish voice actor for those Spanish lines as well...it would be pretty cool to think that they did. Overall, if Pixar ever does a movie that shows the positive aspects of my culture, that would be pretty cool.

[lizardgirl]

Of course I'm biased, but I would enjoy watching a Pixar film set in England. And, as Princess_Darkness said, not in a sort of stereotypical way- there should be no (or little) tea drinking, crumpet eating or beer swilling activities in the movie. The queen's allowed to be in it, though. And a few beefeaters, too. And some fish and chips. I like fish and chips.

Anyway, I'd also like to see a Pixar film using the Japanese culture- I think they could make it really beautiful- or Russian culture. A Pixar film set in Moscow would be amazing! Considering what Pixar were able to do with Paris, I wouldn't be surprised if they managed to portray these other places in an equally positive light.

Nice idea for a thread, Cathy, and welcome to the boards!

[MONS†ER]

i would love to see what pixar would do with aboriginals and native americans.

[leaping lamp]

Pixar did quite well touching upon the French culture in Ratatouille. Cars 2 is evidently going to be taking place in several places on the globe, one being Italy, I believe. It will be interesting to see how these cultures will be portrayed.


I love Japanese culture and I bet that the close relationship John Lasseter has with Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli, a collaboration between the two animation studios might be a future project. Wouldn't that be something else!

[Princess_Darkness]

I love Japanese culture and I bet that the close relationship John Lasseter has with Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli, a collaboration between the two animation studios might be a future project. Wouldn't that be something else!

Really? Lasseter knows Miyazaki? That's pretty cool! To think that he knows both him and Burton, I consider a bonus for me as a fan. It would be something to see if they did do that but then it would take quite some research in order to make sure that they get things right...after all, if I remember correctly, Pixar accidently put Chinese takeout boxes in a Japanese sushi bar in MI which according to the blu-ray of that movie, Disney's Tokyo team still doesn't get why Pixar did that, lol.

[WriterofIdeas]

I would love to a Pixar film set in Germany. The architecture and landscape has some great potential for some wow factors. Although the Bear and the Bow will be Pixar`s fairytale film if they ever want to do a Grimm fairytale I think that would be a great setting area.

And I suppose being in Japan has open my eyes but I`m waiting for a completely Japanese inspired film. I know Mulan and Lilo and Stitch are the asian disney films but there is so much to the Japanese culture that can be explored. Plus Disney here is everywhere especially Lilo and Stitch so if Pixar makes a film based in Japan it`ll really be a big hit.

[kulosaki]

I would love to see Pixar creat an animation that is about Japanese culture. Japan is famous for its remix culture of Eastern and Western. Besides. Japan is also famous for its animation industry. So I want to see what if Pixar creat a specila story about Japan? It must be interesting.

[pitbulllady]

I'd love to see Pixar make a film that is set in the Bayou country of southern Louisiana, although now, most folks would probably try to claim that they were ripping off The Princess and the Frog. I haven't seen that one yet, so I don't know how close Disney got to the accuracy of the culture and dialects. The traditional way of life for the Cajun and Creole people is dying out fast, and the land where they live is rapidly being reclaimed by the Gulf of Mexico, so it would be good to deal with that topic. Most of the movie represenations of that area of the country are highly inaccurate and even downright insulting, just like most representations of the cutlure in the rest of the Southern US.
It would also be interesting to take on the Gullah-Geechee culture of the sea islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia, another place where the traditional ways are fast disappearing, being turned into golf resorts for the very rich. Pixar could have a new and unique setting for a movie, and call attention to those areas and ways of life before they disappear completely and people forget they ever existed.

pitbulllady

[leaping lamp]

Really? Lasseter knows Miyazaki? That's pretty cool!

Yes, if you've seen some of the Studio Ghibli DVD's out, like Castle in the Sky or Howl's Moving Castle, there's an introduction in there from John Lasseter. He's directed the American voice overs for these films and some of the special features show a visit from Miyazaki to Pixar Studios. There was one where Pete Docter directed the voiceovers - I can't remember which, but it was a cool little mini-documentary.

If you love original storylines, the way Pixar makes them, you will appreciate John Lasseter's fandom of Studio Ghibli's work. The films are absolutely wonderful.

[thedriveintheatre]

Well, I'm satisfied with what is possibly the first Asian Pixar character in the form of Russell (who I just found out today is Korean in an interview with Andrew Stanton in an Empire issue), and there was a pretty good spoof of the Japanese drifting culture in Tokyo Mater... I'm interesting to see what other cultures Pixar will go with for Cars 2 and The Princess and the Bow. I'm Chinese, but the Chinese culture has been explored before in Mulan and Kung Fu Panda, so maybe Pixar should try something different?

I agree with Princess_Darkness that maybe they should attempt a Latino-setting with Hispanic characters. We saw a hint of that with Ramone from Cars, and maybe Happy Feet and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but they're a little stereotypical at the moment. Something along the lines of Road to El Dorado or The Three Callaberos would be nice.

Having watched Princess and the Frog and Sherlock Holmes, I'm kinda in the mood for more movies of that genre, so yeah, I suppose it would be interesting if Pixar told a story set in the misty bayou, or the gritty streets of Victorian London.

Of course, I would be over the moon if Disney tried out a surrealistic fairy-tale in Japan Miyazaki-style. The closest they got with is Up, which has parallels in Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, so we know that if a Western studio were to attempt something of that 'level', Pixar would be the best bet.

Native Americans, Aborigines and Africans are not explored enough in popular movies as cultures too, and it would be cool if Pixar adapted a family-friendly comic like Yakari or Kirikou...

No matter what culture they choose to explore, I'm sure Pixar will do it respectfully and tactfully.

[ellie-jessie-eve]

I like how pixar usually has their movies around something other than humans (Cars, Bug's Life, Toy Story, Monster's INC.)
But If they had to, I'd like to see traditional African or Brazilian cultures shown.

[IncredigirlVirginia]

I would love to a Pixar film set in Germany. The architecture and landscape has some great potential for some wow factors. Although the Bear and the Bow will be Pixar`s fairytale film if they ever want to do a Grimm fairytale I think that would be a great setting area.

And I suppose being in Japan has open my eyes but I`m waiting for a completely Japanese inspired film. I know Mulan and Lilo and Stitch are the asian disney films but there is so much to the Japanese culture that can be explored. Plus Disney here is everywhere especially Lilo and Stitch so if Pixar makes a film based in Japan it`ll really be a big hit.

How is Lilo and Stitch Asian?

A Russian-inspired film would be pretty sweet

[pitbulllady]

I would love to a Pixar film set in Germany. The architecture and landscape has some great potential for some wow factors. Although the Bear and the Bow will be Pixar`s fairytale film if they ever want to do a Grimm fairytale I think that would be a great setting area.

And I suppose being in Japan has open my eyes but I`m waiting for a completely Japanese inspired film. I know Mulan and Lilo and Stitch are the asian disney films but there is so much to the Japanese culture that can be explored. Plus Disney here is everywhere especially Lilo and Stitch so if Pixar makes a film based in Japan it`ll really be a big hit.

How is Lilo and Stitch Asian?

A Russian-inspired film would be pretty sweet

Yeah, I was wondering about that myself, being that Lilo and Stitch was set on the Hawaiian island of Kawaii, and Hawaii IS still a US state, last time I checked. Nani and Lilo were native Hawaiians, not Asians.

pitbulllady

[mentalguru]

Selfishly, I'd like a British/Irish setting myself.

As for other cultures, I'd be quite interested in them doing something in New Zealand myself- before the Europeans came (or just after) or set it in the 60s when the Maori had a revival.

Or the prisoners in Australia when it was used for that purpose.