Yesterday, the city of Los Angeles held a celebration in honor of Pixar’s Coco, declaring February 27, 2018, as, “Coco Day in L.A..”
Councilmember, Gil Cedillo announced the importance of the film stating it is, “Extraordinary, authentic, honest, real – and we’re all so very proud of it.”
On-hand for the celebration were Director Lee Unkrich, Producer Darla K. Anderson, as well as additional vocal talent including
- Anthony Gonzalez (voice of Miguel)
- Renee Victor (the voice of Abuelita)
- Gabriel Iglesias (voice of the Clerk)
- Alfonso Arau (the voice of Papa Julio)
- Selene Luna (Voice of Tia Rosita)
- Lombardo Boyar (voice of Mariachi/Gustavo)
- Blanca Araceli (voice of Emcee)
- Dyana Ortelli (voice of Tia Victoria)
- Carlos Moreno Jr. (the voice of a handful of characters including Corn Man).
As Lee Unkrich took to the microphone, he spoke of his gratitude and the importance of the film stating, “This is an incredible honor for all of us at Pixar and for Coco – and for everyone who had anything to do with making it. When we started making Coco back in 2011, the world was a very different place – most notably in terms of politics.
Our intention was always to tell a great story celebrating the beautiful people, the beautiful culture, and the beautiful traditions of Mexico, but we didn’t know just how important the message would become. We poured our hearts into this film taking research trips to Mexico and absorbing every bit of information and details that we could.
We were driven to be as authentic as possible, so we created a diverse crew, found an all Latino voice cast, and brought in cultural consultants to help get our story right. Our goal was to share the beauty and celebration surrounding Dia de Muertos, while also telling a respectful universal story.
We tried to take a step forward towards a world where non-white children can grow up seeing characters in movies that look, and talk, and live like they do. We know that representation matters and that marginalized people deserve to feel like they belong.
We hope as audiences see Coco that they realize how much more there is to be gained by crossing bridges and connecting worlds and embracing other people and their cultures.”
