In Pixar’s short “Your Friend the Rat,” Remy narrates the history of rats.
Remy, the rat protagonist of “Ratatouille,” introduces himself and his brother Emile before presenting an educational-style case for better relations between humans and rats. Remy handles the historical discussion, while the short shifts between computer animation, traditional 2D animation, stop motion, and live action to illustrate his points.
His presentation covers changing human attitudes toward rats, the Black Death, the brown rat’s history, laboratory research, pets, and cultural associations such as the Chinese zodiac and the Hindu god Ganesha. The short also corrects a common oversimplification: plague was spread by infected fleas, rather than rats acting as the direct cause. Emile joins Remy for the musical number “Plan B,” but he is not the narrator of the historical presentation. Released in 2007 alongside “Ratatouille,” the 11-minute special was written and directed by Jim Capobianco and won the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject.