‘Hearts are about to explode’ Pixar’s Elemental receives standing ovation at Cannes

Last Updated on 05/31/2023 by てんしょく飯

Elemental, which opens in the US on Friday 16 June, was screened as the closing film at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival. The film received a standing ovation to great acclaim.

What is the new Pixar and Disney film Elemental?

If there were a world of “elements” – fire, water, earth and wind – what would they be like, how would they live and how could we interact with them?　Set in the most challenging concept world in Pixar history, Elemental depicts the miraculous chemistry that occurs in the “elemental world” when Ember, a fire girl, and Wade, a water boy, meet.

The “world of toys” in Toy Story, the “world of monsters” in Monsters, Inc, the “world under the sea” in Finding Nemo The World of What If?” in Finding Nemo, the “World Inside Your Head” in Inside Head, and the “World of the Dead” in Remember Me, are all unique and imaginative [what if] worlds. Disney & Pixar have brought audiences many moving stories set in unique and imaginative “what if worlds”, such as the “world inside your head” in Head and the “world of the dead” in Remember Me.

In the 100th anniversary year of the Walt Disney Company, they are bringing to the world a new and unexpected “what if world” of surprises and excitement, with miraculous encounters in a colourful Element City full of imagination that no one has ever seen before. The film delivers the surprise and excitement of an unpredictable new “what if world”.

Different perspectives make our lives richer.

Elemental was selected as the closing film of the 76th Cannes International Film Festival. On the red carpet were director Peter Sohn, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, producer Dennis Ream, and Leah Lewis, who voiced Ember, and Mamadou Atiyeh, who voiced Wade.

In keeping with the world of the film, which tells the story of Ember, the fire girl, and Wade, the water boy, the audience was treated to a powerful performance with real flames and water shooting up. This is the first Pixar feature film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, following Up (2009), Inside Head (2015) and Soulful World (2020). Furthermore, it is the first film from Pixar Animation Studios to be selected, other than Pete Docter’s film, which has been screened officially at Cannes in the past.

This was the world premiere screening of Elemental. As soon as the screening finished, the film was greeted with thunderous applause and cheers from the audience, who stood up to congratulate the production team with a standing ovation.

Director Peter Thorne looked around the audience and said, “My heart is about to explode!” He looked over at the audience and said, “My heart is about to explode! He added: “I am truly honoured to bring this film to Cannes. The film is about the richness of diversity. Our lives will be richer for having perspectives that are very different from our own. Thank you so much!” He concluded the enthusiastic and emotional evening at the Cannes Film Festival by expressing his feelings and gratitude for the film.