When it comes to Moana, the Oceanic Cultural Trust serves as the ultimate guide.
When Walt Disney Animation Studios was developing its 2016 feature film Moana, filmmakers John Musker, Ron Clements, Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Osnat Shurer wanted to ensure that the story — about a strong-willed, independent wayfinder from Motunui — was both authentic and respectful of the cultures and histories of Oceania.
And so, in 2011, Musker and Clements embarked on a research trip to the Pacific Islands, in which anthropologists, cultural experts, historians, and wayfinders from Fiji, Mo’orea, Samoa, Tahiti, and other islands, shared experiences and expertise. That trip inspired Disney Animation to establish the Oceanic Cultural Trust, a collective that would become integral in inspiring and finessing the film’s finest details, ranging from costuming to mythology.
Jared Bush, who wrote the screenplay for Moana and co-wrote Moana 2 with director Dana Ledoux Miller — and who was named Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation in September — says there was a “constant back and forth” with the Oceanic Cultural Trust on both films. “We are constantly checking in. And that could be with a master tattoo artist, with a choreographer, with a historian, or an expert Pacific linguist. On top of that, we have an amazing cast who are from across the Pacific region. And then we have Dana Ledoux Miller, whose family is from Samoa, as well as [director] David Derrick Jr., whose family is from Samoa. It’s really important to have many perspectives.”
“The first Moana set the gold standard for how we work with a creative cultural trust,” adds Derrick, who directs Moana 2 with Miller and Jason Hand. “Every step of the way, they helped inform not only the choices we were making in the story, but also the look of the canoes, of the islands, of the plants, of the animals, and of what everyone was wearing.”
“They helped give us ideas for what the film could be, but they also made sure we got it right,” Hand says. “That was really important.”
Constant Collaboration
The Oceanic Cultural Trust is headed by Kalikolehua Hurley, who was born and raised in Mililani, O’ahu. “It’s an inspiring challenge for us to find Moana’s fictional, unique culture, because we are inspired by a world that has many different, distinct cultures,” Hurley says, “but it’s such a joy to work with our Oceanic Cultural Trust in bringing the stories together.”
Lāiana Kanoa-Wong, one of the consultants for Moana 2, says it’s been an “honor” to be involved in the filmmaking process. “Growing up, I had no idea that learning your language and culture could potentially get you an opportunity like this — or that it would be valued and appreciated by Disney,” Kanoa-Wong says. “I got to come in very early on when Moana 2 was still in the concept stages, and I was invited to spend time with the directors, the producers, and the lead animators.”
“In all of the song sequences — even ones that weren’t necessarily ‘choreographed’ throughout — we would have moments where we would lean on [animation reference choreographer Tiana Nonosina Liufau],” Kevin Webb, a head animator on Moana 2, recalls. “We’d say, ‘Hey, we need something here that feels specific to the region and specific to this moment.’ And she might just send us a little video clip of a hand pose or a finger position — a simple movement that would help us do something that feels music-like, even though it’s not choreographed, that was also true to the region and the culture.”
Head animator Amy Smeed, also praises Liufau’s many contributions to the sequel. “As animators, we are always researching for every scene. On top of that, we’re always caricaturing the performances. We might be pushing on things like timing and spacing, and we’re also looking for strong silhouettes.” Having that “baseline” from Liufau was crucial, Smeed explains, in informing the animation: “Going back to the fingers, there are very specific gestures that are very meaningful, and so we want to make sure we stick to that.”
Beyond the Studio
Over the past few years, members of the Oceanic Cultural Trust have shared their expertise across The Walt Disney Company, such when Disney Consumer Products made new apparel, books, games, and toys, or when Walt Disney Imagineering developed an attraction, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, for EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort. “Usually when there’s something Moana-related, I’ll get a call,” Hurley says. “So, I get to see how her story looks in different iterations across our awesome company.”
Ask anyone about working with the Oceanic Cultural Trust, and you’ll be hit with a tidal wave of praise. “As a Pacific Islander, I bring my own experience of what it means to be from the Pacific into writing and directing this film. But I feel so fortunate that I get to lean on experts in so many different fields,” Ledoux Miller says. “I’m Samoan, but that doesn’t mean that I know how to sail a canoe; I’m not a wayfinder. To be able to turn to these experts and ask them questions, it was so inspiring and, in so many ways, helped fuel the storytelling.”
When the filmmakers showed a rough cut of the film to Nainoa Thompson, CEO of Polynesian Voyaging Society and a member of the Oceanic Cultural Trust, they were moved to tears by his response. “He said, ‘You are all wayfinders. You need to make sure that you get it right, so when this movie goes out into the world, everybody understands that what the people of the Pacific do is an amazing feat,” Hand says. “We wanted to be true to that.”
A native Hawaiian, Kanoa-Wong says he hopes Moana 2 — which shattered box office records in its opening weekend — will inspire others to “continue to tell our own stories,” adding, “I hope it can be an inspiration to learn your stories, to learn your history, to learn your language, to learn your culture. When you see a big company like Disney taking on this work and this responsibility, I hope that it is inspiring for our people.”
“Moana is an amazing wayfinder. I’m hoping people can see and look at the film and say, ‘What is wayfinding? What is navigation? What is voyaging?’” Kanoa-Wong continues. “And as people see how amazing Moana is and as she’s figuring out her journey, you can learn that it’s actually a real part of our history as people of the Pacific… So hopefully people can dive into that a little bit more, because to me, that will lead to people caring more about these cultures, caring more about these places, and caring more about our oceans.”
