MAKING WAVES
welcomed by reviewers. “Even as someone of South Asian descent, simply seeing a brown woman with curly hair feels like a huge acknowledgment,” writes Fusion.com journalist Isha Aran. “That not only do we exist but we’re heroines worthy of our own stories (and dolls).” Dwayne Johnson describes Moana as a history-making movie because it’s the first time Disney showcases the Pacific Islands and their culture. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though. The film has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes of Polynesians by depicting Maui as overweight, and there was a row over Maui Halloween suits that were withdrawn from sale after being deemed insensitive. venture beyond the reef. Like many middle-class children of today, she has two wonderful, caring parents but their hovering results in a helpless young woman unprepared for the challenges of life. Moana means “ocean” in Hawaiian so it’s no accident the sea is one of the most endearing characters in the movie, highfiving the heroine, fixing her hair and enveloping her in its benign embrace.
The early scenes in which the ocean befriends tiny Moana make for some of the best “aww” moments in movie history.
Creating realistic images of the fluidity of water was a huge challenge. Animators developed special software that allowed for a more natural feel to the water and smooth movement of the waves. “Water’s a pervasive part of the movie,” technical supervisor Hank Driskill says. “Moana and Maui are on a boat in the middle of stormy seas. We have shoreline water, deep water, swimming, big storm-cresting waves, lots of water interactions.”
Directors John Musker and Ron Clements, who also helmed Disney megahits The Little Mermaid (1989) and Aladdin (1992), used a combination of handdrawn animation and computer graphics (CG). According to Musker, there’s an expressiveness to hand-drawn animation that CG can’t achieve just yet so they mixed them. The result is an ocean simply brimming with personality. song and fans can buy the single from the South African iTunes Store.
“How Far I’ll Go beautifully encapsulates the elements of Moana that resonate with me: to break away from conformity, to be bold, to go out and discover what makes you uniquely you,” Lira says. “It’s a real honour to be involved!”