Meet Bianca! She is the first female plus-size protagonist from the Walt Disney Animation Studios. Bianca features in the short film “Reflect” which follows the young ballet dancer and her struggles with body image. It also stands as a commentary piece on the world of dance and the expectations society places on predominantly young and female dancers to be lean and agile. The short is part of the second season of the studio’s Short Circuit Experimental Films series on their streaming service Disney+. Short Circuit is a program that allows anyone within the studios to pitch an idea and potentially have it made into a short film. This program allows for more diverse tales and exposure for lesser-known storytellers. The first round of releases premiered in January of 2020. Previously released hits include “Exchange Student,” “Downtown,” and “Jing Hua”. The second season dropped on September 14 of 2022, but “Reflect” and Bianca alike are now becoming hot topics on social media. Now that she’s had a chance to tell her story, it is clear that Bianca is a hit! Many have expressed their own struggles with body image as a result. Some even said that they wish that they had a character like Bianca when they were growing up. The film has even received praise from popstar Lizzo in a statement to TODAY.
“It is so important for children of all races and ethnicities and body types to see themselves as the heroes. I’m glad to see ‘Reflect’ letting a plus-size girl take center stage… and while it’s disheartening that it’s taken so long — and that it’s a … short and not a ninety-minute feature film — this is a big step in the right direction.” – Lizzo
https://www.today.com/parents/family/debate-disneys-first-size-protagonist-reflect-rcna54797
“Reflect” is directed by Hillary Bradfield who contributed to box-office smashes such as “Frozen II” and “Encanto”. She also worked on the upcoming “Avatar: The Way of Water”. Bradfield has previously stated that she strongly believes in body positivity and sharing the true struggles people face. She explains that even though Bianca is able to overcome her negative feelings throughout the film and dance freely, self-acceptance can be easier said than done. Bradfield even used some of her own experiences as a reference for some of these complexities. She hopes that from the film, viewers can feel more comfortable about the tougher parts of their individual journeys. She also stated that “sometimes you go to the dark place to get to the good place, and that just makes the good place that much more beautiful”.
Disney has definitely been making an effort in recent years to achieve better representation in their media. Most notably, they are releasing their live-action remake of hit film “The Little Mermaid”, starring African American actress Halle Bailey as Ariel, in theaters on May 26, 2023. Pixar’s 2020 film “Soul” was the first animated feature to star an African American main character. Earlier this year, a transgender character featured in Disney+’s show “Baymax”, a spinoff of the 2014 film “Big Hero 6”. The story of “Reflect” shows a huge leap in representation matters when compared to Disney/Pixar film “Wall-E”. The latter was released in 2008 and depicts obesity as being synonymous with environmental destruction rather than highlighting the struggle that plus-sized people face daily. Luckily, Disney has clearly made an effort to rectify this stance. Unfortunately, some have criticized the short for exposing young children to ‘plus-size culture’. They feel as though normalizing it encourages them to develop negative eating habits in the future. Whether you agree or disagree with the studio’s choice to feature a story about self-acceptance and body dysmorphia, you cannot deny that this is a historic step for the company and animation alike. Personally, I cannot wait to see where they go from here.