Pablo O. Scholz
04/26/2021 9:25 AM
Clarín.com
Shows
Movie theater
Updated 04/26/2021 9:25 AM
When we thought we knew everything
Pixar
could offer us,
Soul
arrived
, which
Disney +
premiered on the day of Christmas.
And
Pete Docter
, its director, puts us back, reflecting before essential questions of our life (and death, as it appeared in
Up
) and with a visual world about "abstract" emotions as fascinating as in
Intense Mind
.
The plot centers on Joe, a school music teacher (Jamie Foxx lends him his voice) who at the dream opportunity - playing jazz in a band - gets excited like maybe never in his life.
But he suffers an accident and has - this is seen in the trailer, it is not
a
spoiler -
a life after death
.
In that plane, world or universe, your soul must be a mentor of
22
(voice of
Tina Fey
), a soul that has not yet been born and that cannot find the “spark” that gives meaning to its future life.
Pete Docter and Dana Murray, when they received the distinction.
Reuters photo
In an exclusive interview by Zoom with
Clarín
, Docter, something like
Pixar's own soul
, and John Lasseter away from the company, spoke about the film and recalled his time in Argentina.
-What are the “sparks” (as they talk about them in “Soul”) or the purpose of your life?
-I think
the sparks of my life have been music
, sure.
I grew up in a very musical family, and in animation there is something ... The first thing I discovered was with the flips in the corner of my math book, and flipping (flipping) those pictures and seeing how that seemed to come to life, I said
" Whoa !!! It's amazing! "
I don't think so early in my life I said
"I want to spend the rest of my life doing this,"
but that's the way it ended.
So I think those two things directly led to making this film.
-What decided you, or what was the way that Joe is an African-American character?
-At the beginning, it was a personal story, as if trying, by myself, to solve this. What is the world about? What am I supposed to do with my life? And so, wanting to take people on this kind of artistic journey of finding a character that we can lean on, put down roots, that we find Joe compelling and interesting. We were playing, for a while, with him being an actor or a scientist. But
as soon as we find a jazz musician, we feel very disinterested in the others
. It felt like someone who loves ... You don't get into jazz to get rich and famous, you know? You do it because you love it. And you have a passion for it. And it is fascinating to watch.
When you see someone play jazz, they are amazing. Uh, it's like a magic trick.
So as soon as we came up with that, one of our consultants called jazz "A-black improv music."
And we realized that we had to make this character black.
It had to be from that culture that brought us this great American art form.
Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is a music teacher who has the opportunity of a lifetime.
Until .... PHOTO: DISNEY +
-The film shows that we are all really the same before “going” to Earth and that it is our individual experience that makes us special. There is something great about "the old days" of souls. What can you tell me about the counselors, like Jerry, who help them, and their conception?
-We thought that if souls went crazy, no one would ever be born. It was chaos up there. So they need a little direction. We would not want to resemble another soul, not a person from Earth. So, we create these advisers that are… Lines. It's like you took a wire and twisted it into the shape of a person. But you didn't have too much cable. So it
's a simple thing, and it's not entirely two-dimensional. It is a bit three dimensional.
And we think, these will be very simple. Because they are just one line. Well, it turns out, in typical computing fashion, you never know what you're getting into. That was one of the most difficult characters, not just in the movie but in our character library at Pixar, to bring those things to life.
Angela Bassett is another talented actress who voiced the characters in this new Pixar wonder.
PHOTO: DISNEY +
-And was there a particular emotional scene that any of the actors who lent their voices connected with in a way that was even better than you imagined or the way it was written?
-I remember Tom Hanks said he felt that of acting work, voice acting is the most exhausting. Because in live action you're like, one minute, two, three minutes. And then, it cuts out, and you wait about an hour. And then you are back. So, you are alone for three or four hours.
Jamie (Foxx, who is voiced by Joe) never stopped. It only has energy to burn.
He was just as energetic at the end as he was at the beginning. It is amazing and amazing. We had a lot of scenes where he talks. Joe talks about the power of music and the importance of music. And my hair stood on end when I heard Jamie talk about it. Because I know he feels that. He believes it so fully. And it was so truthful and authentic. There was so much we got from Jamie beyond individual readings.
The film was to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
But the Covid-19 pandemic prevented it.
PHOTO.
DISNEY +
-You have already examined our dreams and our nightmares in
Monsters, Inc.
, the mind in
Intense Mind
and now the soul.
What will the next level be?
-Yeah, I don't know how much further we can go from this, it's like it's the end of the line.
Well, you never know ... At Pixar we are surely going to think of something.
The jazz compositions and arrangements for "Soul" are by Jonathan Batiste.
PHOTO: DISNEY +
-Who was or who were your teachers, your mentors?
-I have a lot of amazing teachers.
When I was in high school, Bill Butler taught me how animation worked.
He didn't want me to pay him for that, but he was a great teacher, and there are many people I learned from.
Joe Grant, who was one of the "old" Disney men, close to Walt Disney, creating
Fantasy
, and the story for
Dumbo
.
I had to work very closely with him, and in fact the title
Monsters, Inc
... came from him
.
There are so many people who have contributed in my life, giving me so much of their lives, that I hope I can return those favors.
Pete Docter does not miss drawing by hand in digital times, because "I always go out with my pen and my sketch pad."
PHOTO: DISNEY +
-I wonder if you miss drawing, by hand.
-I do, I do, I have my pens, around here ... (looks around, and takes one).
Between interviews, I do a little drawing, but I miss it, and I
try to come out with my sketch pad
.
I recommend everyone, whether they are draftsmen or not, take your drawing pad, pencil and paper when you go out ...
Fury, Disgust, Joy, Fear and Sadness: the "internal" characters of "Intensa mente" (2015).
PHOTO: DISNEY
-You were in Argentina supporting the premiere of
Intensa mente
.
What are your best memories of your stay in Argentina?
-Well, the steak is the first thing that comes to mind, they have amazing meals, and there was a restaurant near a cemetery, which I forgot the name of now ...
-Recoleta.
Like Pancho around his house.
Docter, in the gardens of the Four Seasons mansion, in Recoleta, in 2015. PHOTO: MAXI FALLA
-Yes… And you can look around you, discover that world, and it is a beautiful city.
I mean, one of the biggest disappointments for all of us in all of this is not being able to be available to visit countries like Argentina, and to be able to share the movie with everyone in person.
-One of the characters says "we need more teachers." What does that phrase mean to you?
-To me it means that the world needs people to give back… I think teachers are very disinterested in what they do,
my parents are teachers, Dana's parents (Murray, co-producer) are teachers
.
I think they lead us, guide us to how we face life.
And all I do is focus on the lives of these people who are raising us.
It is an amazing profession, and I have a lot of respect for it.
When the actions unfold on Earth, the center is New York.
PHOTO: DISNEY +
-Do you have any kind of regret or regret for not being able to release your film in theaters? Do you miss that?
-Yes.
I would be lying if I said otherwise, there is something about sitting in a cinema together, having a common experience… However, we are very happy that people can see the film.
I think it talks about something about these times, and it seems like a sure way is to make it for people to see it in their homes, starting December 25th.
We are excited to release our film to the world.
Pete Docter shows, once again, an imagination to the test of everything.
PHOTO: DISNEY +
-And what message do you hope will be left to families, especially children and future generations, who will be sitting together at home watching your movie?
-Many of us grew up with the idea that we have to earn our way to be worthy.
And that is why, many times, some of these goals end up being, in a way, self-defined or self-limited.
And one of the goals of the film is to say that just by being alive, we are valued.
We are enough.
We all deserve to enjoy what life has to offer.
All you have to do is open your eyes and look around you.
The soul of Pixar
He is 1.96 m tall, with a cartoon face, and born on October 9, 1968 in Bloomington, Minnesota,
Pete Docter already has three Oscars kept at home
.
All, for best animated film of the year: one for
Up - a high-altitude adventure
(2009), another for
Intense Mind
(2015) and now, for
Soul
.
For the first two, he also competed for the best original script.
An original drawing of "Monsters Inc.", Pete Docter's debut opera, released in 2001. PHOTO: DISNEY
He started at Pixar in 1990 as the studio's third animator.
He is currently
Creative Director of Pixar Animation Studios
.
"Up", another genius from Pete Docter.
For her he won his first Oscar.
PHOTO: DISNEY
He directed only four films in 20 years, but what films.
His first film was
Monsters, Inc.
(2001);
then came
Up
(2009), and the third - and the only one that brought it to Argentina to present it in person - was
Intensa mente
(2015).
Pete Docter, happy with his statuette, on March 7, 2010. "Up" won for best animated film.
PHOTO: REUTERS
But, in addition to his four feature films, he wrote the original stories for the first two
Toy Story
and
WALL-E
.
"Intense mind." Here they are.
Sadness, Fear, Joy, Anger and Disgust, struggling to impose itself on the brain of Riley, the girl.
PHOTO: DISNEY
Soul
is the first of those he directed in which he does not lend his voice to any character, no matter how episodic it may be.