Moana (also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some markets) is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
Disney's Moana has depicted part of Polynesian history in its own way, with some aspects being somewhat factual while others were exaggerated. Disney's Moana is set on the fictional island of Motunui.
The concept for Coco is inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. Pixar began developing the animation in 2016. Unkrich, Molina, and some of the film's crew visited Mexico for research. Composer Michael Giacchino, who had worked on prior Pixar animated features, composed the score.
One of the things that make Moana such a beloved character is her authentic portrayal of Polynesian culture. In fact, the creators of the movie went to great lengths to ensure that Moana's appearance and characteristics accurately represented the diverse Polynesian heritage.
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What culture is Maui from?
The tale of Maui-a-kalana, a hero in Hawaiian culture, is well known throughout the islands. Maui was the youngest of 'Akalana and Hina's four sons. Maui was blessed with a quick wit, a mischievous nature, and a magic makau, or fish-hook.
“A lot of times within the Latinx community, it's Mexican [culture being represented] but 'Encanto' is set in Colombia, which is great because we need more stories that are not just Mexican,” Velazco said. “For example, 'Coco' was great, but 'Encanto' created a space for people who are not Mexican but are Latinx.”
“Coco” tells the story of Miguel Rivera, a 12-year-old Mexican boy who dreams of becoming a famous troubadour like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz — a guitar hero and movie star inspired by midcentury luminaries like Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete.
It is a beautiful Hawaiian given name meaning "ocean, sea, or expanse of water." The name has been a firm favorite among Polynesian communities for years, gaining global popularity with the release of Disney's epic animated film in 2016.
But depending on where in the world people saw Moana, they might know the great animated movie by another name. Disney retitled Moana in different countries, with most European countries using Vaiana. This change was reflected in the movie too, as Moana's name was changed to Vaiana due to copyright issues.
Some enjoy the movie but believe Maui should have been portrayed as a warrior. "As a proud Polynesian woman, it's not often that you see a film like Moana come out. It headlines our Pasifika culture, and it's lead by our Polynesian artists in the industry.
The analysis shows that Moana is portrayed as a character who possesses both masculine and feminine traits; the masculine traits, however, are more dominant that the feminine ones. This indicates that the film tends to go against gender stereotyping by portraying a complexity of traits within the main character.
The main focus of spiritual devotion in Moana is the islanders, and particularly Moana's, faith in Te Fiti. This island goddess is the highest being, and even another god, Maui bows to her. This strengthens the fact that life revolves around nature, and faith in nature roots the spirit.
Encanto is a must-watch during Hispanic Heritage Month. Set in Colombia, the film follows the Madrigal family, who possess magical gifts. However, when the magic starts to fade, Mirabel, the youngest member of the family, must embark on a journey to save her family's legacy.
Disney's tale of the magically-gifted Madrigal family who live in a magical house in the enchanting highland town of Encanto — set in the beguiling real-life Valle de Cocora — begins with the tragedy of Colombia's violent past before morphing into a panegyric to Colombia's warm and welcoming beauty.
According to a Disney spokeswoman, Sofia has a mixed fairy-tale heritage; her mother and father are from Galdiz (which is based on Spain) and Freezenburg (which is based on Scandinavia), respectively.
The new instalment is coming out next year, with quite an ironic twist: Snow White, who is described as having 'skin as white as snow' in the original Grimm Brothers version, is no longer white at all. Instead, she will be played by actress Rachel Zegler, a Latina of Colombian ancestry.
Princess Elena of Avalor, a "confident and compassionate teenager," will be introduced next year as Disney's first Latina princess, Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide announced today.
Among the iwi of New Zealand, Hina is usually considered to be either the elder sister or the wife of Māui. The most common story that presents Hina as the wife of Māui tells of Te Tunaroa, the father of all eels, who one day visited the pool where Hina bathed.
Moana is set on the fictional island of Motunui in the Pacific Ocean and draws inspiration from elements of the real-life island nations of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
In Disney's 2016 animated film Moana, audiences were introduced to the lovable demi-god Maui. Maui is a shapeshifting, trickster god who comes to the aid of the film's protagonist, Moana, on her quest to save her island and family.
