'They wouldn't give her money to go to art school': Disney Pixar's Elemental director says mum had reason for not supporting his artistic pursuits

Our parents may drive us up the wall, but we've been told that everything they do comes from a place of love.

Even if the younger generations (yes, looking at the millennials and Gen Zs) may scoff at that idea.

However, for Peter Sohn, director of the upcoming Disney Pixar film Elemental, the heart-wrenching twist behind his mother's actions is enough to make you believe that, in their own misguided way, parents do things out of love.

Speaking to AsiaOne at the Disney+ Content Showcase earlier this month, Peter confessed that his mother really wasn't a fan of his artistic pursuits.

The 45-year-old said: "For me growing up, it was just like, anytime I did a drawing, my mom would tear up the paper or break pencils, and say, 'This is not your future. You can't do this.' And what was so interesting was that she was so violent about it. She was so angry about it that I didn't understand [why].

"But years later, you know, I found out that she was also an artist. And that because she was a woman in Korea, they wouldn't give her money to go to art school. They only gave the son, and so she had this part of her life that I didn't know about."

That wasn't the only time his life choices saw him coming into conflict with his parents. Peter, who is Korean American, previously revealed that his romantic relationship was an inspiration for Elemental as his parents wanted him to marry a Korean.

However, he didn't.

The film is about anthropomorphic elements (water, earth, fire, air) living together in a metropolitan city and what happens after Ember (Leah Lewis), a 'fire' woman, meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a 'water' guy.

When asked how his parents reacted to his relationship, Peter replied: "Yeah, they're hardcore. My grandmother's dying words were literally like, 'Marry Korean'. And she literally passed away [after], like I was with our families hearing this."

While his parents were against it for "a couple years", his father's attitude softened once he met his then-girlfriend.

"Once he met her and understood who she was, my dad had this empathy that totally opened the door. You know, my mom had a little bit longer of a time to turn, but I think that empathy was the key."

Elemental premieres in June 2023.

For the full interview, watch our latest episode of E-Junkies.

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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