Pixar rolls out new short Purl, and it's quite a yarn
Purl is a tale of diversity, acceptance and knitting puns.
Prepare to get emotionally invested in a pink ball of yarn.
Pixar's newest hero is Purl, a bright pink ball of yarn that is super excited for her first day in the very white and very male investment firm B.R.O. Capital. Purl's outgoing enthusiasm is soon squashed by an environment that doesn't react well to anything different.
The engaging yarn creature goes to great lengths to fit in with the bro culture, but something happens to make her rethink her position. Purl reaches right for your heartstrings (heartyarns?) and gives them a good tug.
Purl is the first film from Disney Pixar SparkShorts, an experimental initiative that gives Pixar employees a chance to tell personal stories their own way.
Purl comes from writer and director Kristen Lester. "It's based on my experience being in animation," says Lester. In a meet-the-filmmakers video, she discusses how coming to work at Pixar and being on teams with other women changed her outlook on herself and her work environment.
The short is also acting as promotion for Disney+, Disney's new streaming service that aims to compete with Netflix. More SparkShots are slated for the service in 2019.
Purl is cute, and it may even have you in stitches, but it also tells a story that touches on issues of belonging, diversity and the decisions we make to fit in. It's a different kind of fiber art.
