In Pixar’s short film “Lava,” the male volcano is named Uku.
Uku is a lonely tropical volcano who sings to the ocean, hoping to find a partner. The story unfolds over millions of years as he steadily releases lava and gradually sinks beneath the sea. Although Uku believes he is alone, a female submarine volcano named Lele has heard his song and fallen in love with him.
Uku nearly becomes extinct before Lele finally rises from the ocean. Because she faces away from him, she does not see Uku before he disappears beneath the water. He is revived when he hears Lele singing his own song, and the two volcanoes eventually emerge together and form a single island.
A common mix-up is confusing Uku with Lele: Lele is the female volcano, while Uku is the male. Their names also combine to form “ukulele,” matching the short’s Hawaiian-inspired musical setting. “Lava” was written and directed by James Ford Murphy and released theatrically with “Inside Out” in 2015.