'Turning Red' tells the story of growing up as a Chinese Canadian teen in Toronto
CTV
Friday marked the premiere of 'Turning Red,' the new Pixar animated movie that chronicles what it's like growing up as a Chinese Canadian teen in Toronto.
It's the first feature-length Pixar film to be set in Canada. The film boldly explores the awkward moments that teen girls can experience, with the lead character, Mei Lee, turning into a giant red panda at times -- a metaphor for puberty.
"I specifically wanted to tackle the topic of puberty -- girl puberty -- and that moment in your life, especially for me, where I went from being my mom's perfect little daughter to being this raging hormonal beast that was fighting with her all the time," Shi told CTV News.
Set in the early 2000s, the movie features plenty of landmarks familiar to anyone who grew up in Toronto in that era, including the CN Tower, SkyDome, Chinatown and Kensington Market. TTC streetcars are also prominently featured and Mei's school -- Lester B. Pearson Middle School – is also named after Canada's 14th prime minister and inspired by real schools in the city.
"It was inspired by my own life and Pixar was totally on board," said Shi.
