Liam Nein

There are two ways to interpret “Bao”, the one everyone seems to get—family values are important and kids shouldn’t just forget about and leave their parents for their own life. Then, the one tackling typical Chinese family and it’s core values. It’s shockingly shrewd how the director was able to depict the very nature of being a Chinese parent—preparing everything and sacrificing everything at any cost for the kid—but if their kids want to have their own life and be their own person, they’ll prevent that from happening at any cost too even the one of destroying the kids. Bao gave the story a happy ending whereas in reality, stories of many Chinese families are like this but more end when the mom “ate” her kid. The fact that the dad character was only present in the beginning and ending is also very typical Chinese; not all but many Chinese dads are never around when their kids are growing up, leaving all the burdens to their spouse—those moms are like single moms although technically they do have a husband. This short film is just spectacular. I love how it is touching and lovely on the surface but will get brutally realistic and dark if you know the culture and think thoroughly about it.