Pixar’s latest film Luca, symbolizes the wonders of friendship and the effects of summertime experiences on kids. Luca is the ultimate coming of age story for two young sea monsters who call the waters of the Italian Riveira home. It is set in a picturesque port city where Luca and his friend Alberto embark on a journey of growth and adventure. What’s really neat about these sea monsters is that they have a secret- they transform into humans when they’re out of the water!
Obviously, swimming is second nature to Luca, but he quickly learns about other forms of transportation from walking on two legs to zipping around on a Vespa. I watched 30 minutes of the animation and it seems the Vespa is symbolic of Luca’s freedom and growth. He takes steps to leave his comfort zone and celebrate life and his new found independence with his friend Alberto by his side.
During the early press day for Luca, director Enrico Casaroa shared how scooters are part of the Italian culture and what they meant to him as a young person:
“Italy is very much a culture of scooters. So, I grew up with a little Piaggio Si, which means ‘yes.’ That’s when I was 14. And it’s kind of something between a Vespa and a bicycle, if anyone knows that, it would be probably more Italians. And it’s tiny, with a two stroke engine. So, I started on a Piaggio very early on. And then I actually got more into motorcycles to be honest. My best friend and I both had a motorcycle. So, we were actually driving up and down the Riviera in the summer quite a few times. So, that’s such a big thing we share. It just felt like such a great symbol of freedom in this silliness. I do like that it’s kind of preposterous in some way ’cause kids come up with these kind of crazy ideas, you know. And so, the idea that we can ride into the sunset and live on a Vespa, it’s perfectly great. And so, I always loved that side of it, that it’ a bit silly. But that is kind of the connection that I had. That we certainly always loved it. They’re beautiful machines.”
“Especially those from the early 1960s, there’s something about the design, the lines, that are so beautiful. Those were some of the ideas that came to the front, when it slowly solidified as an interesting goal for them that was kid-like and silly. But also it was easy to have fun with some fantasies about them.”
Luca premieres exclusively on Disney Plus June 18, 2021.
What to know more about Luca? We have more behind-the-scenes news here.
