Nemo and Dory return in Pixar’s new theatrical short film, Loving Dory.
“This is a new chapter in Dory’s story, because she gives us something to look forward to,” said director Lou Hamou-Razi. This time she falls in love with plastic bags.
But it wasn’t just about the fish, as Pixar brought the “gut” to Annecy.
Directed by Enrico Casarosa, this film depicts Nero, a black cat who suddenly finds himself alone in Venice. Not to mention, he’s on the run from a cat mob boss.
Casarosa is also behind “Luca”. “We’re back in Italy,” he said, introducing the first completed scene.
“Venice is our setting. We have a new, very immersive painterly look. We like the idea of stepping inside a painting. Imagine stepping inside a Van Gogh painting.”
“In Venice, there used to be a lot of cats on the streets. Cats seemed to rule this place. We liked the idea of showing the secret life of cats in Venice. Nero has to fend for himself, and it wasn’t easy because he’s a black cat and everyone is superstitious. He can’t swim.”
There he meets Rocco, who “controls the cat’s abdomen.”
This gang life, he says, is mixed with cat behavior.
“Rocco collects art, cat art. Humans are afraid of him, so Nero becomes Rocco’s favorite thief. But he reaches a point where he wants to get out of this life full of mischief and danger. As you can imagine, it’s hard to get out of there. ‘If you’ll do this for the last time, I’ll let you go,’ said Rocco. It’s the violin.”
Nero agrees and meets Maya, a talented street musician. And the pigeons are “enthusiastic members of the Pigeon Rights Alliance.” However, Maya is not superstitious, so stealing the violin will not be easy.
“As they start spending time together, they realize they have a lot in common, which threatens Nero’s mission. The big question is, will he betray here or will he defy Rocco?”
The team worked hard to find a new look.
“We’ve created an expressive Venice, both in an emotional way and in an immersive way. It’s very textured. We’re going for a handcrafted atmosphere. It’s an enhanced version of Venice.”
The film features the voices of Mark Ruffalo and Laurence Fishbourne. Enrico Casarosa actually voices the goofy pigeon Saverio.
