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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2016)
November 21, 2016 Arts Culture & Entertainment THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 Disney’s Moana highlights Polynesian culture Moana, a new film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, sails into theaters on Wednesday, November 23. The animated adventure follows a spirited teenager who sets out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill the unfinished quest of her ancestors. The film highlights the voice talent of newcomer Auli’i Cravalho, a native of Hawai‘i, as the film’s title character. Cravalho is joined by actor Dwayne Johnson, who has Samoan roots, as the voice of demigod Maui — a charismatic character inspired by the varied tales and legends about him throughout the Pacific — who assists Moana on her quest. The film opens with Moana’s Gramma Tala, the mother of Chief Tui and Moana’s greatest confidante, sharing the tale of Te Fiti, the mother island, with toddlers on the island, including young Moana. Gramma Tala’s story culminates with details about Maui, demigod of the wind and sea, who steals the heart of Te Fiti, unleashing a terrible darkness that threatens the life and habitat of islanders throughout the region. As young Moana grows up, a very special presence in her life — the Ocean — is introduced. She is drawn to the ocean, but voyaging beyond the safety of the reef that lies just beyond their shores is forbidden by Chief Tui, Moana’s father. After realizing the livelihood of the island is threatened by a terrible darkness, however, Moana breaks her father’s rules, setting sail on an epic trip to save her people and find the answers she’s been searching for her whole life. Moana eventually finds the mighty demigod Maui, a charismatic character as well as a larger-than-life trickster and shapeshifter. Maui, who is on his own journey of self-discovery, reluctantly guides Moana in her quest to become a wayfinder and save her people on an action-packed voyage where they encounter monsters and impossible odds while sailing across the open ocean. Oceania The story told in the film is inspired in OCEAN EXPLORATION. Moana, a new film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, follows spirited teenager Moana as she ventures beyond the safety of the reef that lies just beyond their island’s shores after realizing their livelihood is threatened by a terrible darkness. Breaking the rules of her father, Chief Tui, she sets sail on an epic adventure to save her people and find the answers she’s been searching for her whole life. The film opens November 23 in theaters nationwide. Pictured is Moana (right) talking to Gramma Tala (left) on the beach. (Image courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios) part by oral histories of the people and our heroine, Moana, is at the heart of the little, I used to dance around the house singing at the top of my lungs. In my mind, cultures of Oceania. For centuries, the rebirth of wayfinding.” In researching the project, the film- that was performing and I loved the feeling greatest navigators in the world masterfully travelled the vast Pacific, makers journeyed to the islands of the of it. But I never imagined being in a discovering the many islands of Oceania. Pacific to see the places and meet the Disney movie, being Moana — repre- But then, around 3,000 years ago, their people in person. “We wanted to, as much senting my culture in that way.” Fortunately, the film’s Hawai‘i casting voyages stopped for a millennium — and as possible, avoid the ‘touristy’ things, to though there are theories, no one knows go deeper,” said director Ron Clements. director remembered an unrelated “We wanted to meet people who grew up on audition Cravalho did as part of an a exactly why. “Navigation — wayfinding — is such a islands; we wanted to listen and learn cappella group, which had been submitted big part of Pacific culture,” said director what makes these Pacific Island cultures for a talent showcase for a charity. Feeling John Musker. “Ancient Polynesians found so remarkable.” They spent time within the local teen would be perfect for the their way across the seas, wayfinding local communities, meeting and sharing Disney role, she tracked her and her island-to-island without the use of modern stories and meals with elders and chiefs mother down and invited Cravalho to instruments, using their knowledge of and their families, as well as teachers, audition. “Her audition was fantastic — nature, the stars, the waves, and the craftspeople, farmers, fishermen, and she was such a raw talent,” said producer Shurer. “Auli’i was among a small number navigators. currents.” One meeting stood out, Clements of girls we brought back for a second round There are many theories, but no one is certain about what may have led to the recalled. “An elder on the island of Mo’orea of auditions. Then we flew her and her 1,000-year gap in exploration before it asked of us something so simple and so mom over to audition at our studios in resumed 2,000 years ago, leading to the revealing: ‘For years, we have been Burbank.” “Auli’i demonstrated a certain fearless- discoveries of Tahiti, Hawai‘i, and swallowed by your culture,’ he said. ‘This Aotearoa (New Zealand). The rebirth — one time, can you be swallowed by ours?’” ness in her auditions and callbacks,” said Deeply inspired by their time in the director Musker. “She has a playful, and the possible explanations behind it — sparked the imaginations of the Pacific Islands, filmmakers assembled a mischievous wit. She can project vulnera- filmmakers. Said Musker, “In our story, group of advisors they named the Oceanic bility, she doesn’t seem intimidated at all Story Trust (OST). OST included anthro- by the challenges ahead, and her pologists, educators, linguists, expert tat- Polynesian background has helped shape tooists, choreographers, haka specialists, her connection to family, hard work, and master navigators, and cultural advisors music. These are all qualities she shares one of the leading outlets of the so-called who collaborated with Disney’s creative with Moana.” alt-right, a movement often associated “Moana is a vibrant, tenacious 16-year- team. with far-right efforts to preserve “white “The trust has deeply influenced the old growing up on an island where identity” and oppose multiculturalism. look and feel of this film,” said producer voyaging is forbidden,” added director Michael Lieberman with the Anti-Defa- Osnat Shurer. “The film would not be what Clements. “But Moana has been drawn to mation League said there have been the ocean since she can remember and is it is today without their guidance.” “unprecedented efforts” to address hate desperate to find out what’s beyond the Auli’i Cravalho crimes in recent years, from outreach to While hundreds of talented people from confines of her island.” law enforcement, community meetings, Moana opens the day before Thanks- across the Pacific Islands were eager to try and an emphasis on cooperation among out for the lead voice role, Cravalho had giving, November 23, in theaters nation- federal agencies. her sights set firmly on her sophomore wide. To learn more, visit <www.facebook. Any increases, including the ones seen year of high school. “I didn’t think I would com/disneymoana>. To buy tickets, visit in anti-Muslim crimes, could be due in part have a chance,” she said. “When I was <www.fandango.com>. to more reporting by victims as well as better reporting and tracking by law enforcement agencies. The number of law enforcement agencies sending data on hate crimes to the FBI decreased by about three percent in 2015. An AP investigation earlier this year found 17 percent of local law enforcement agencies had not submitted a single hate crime report during the past six years as part of the FBI’s tracking program, prompting concerns that an undercount was masking the true scope of hate and bias crimes in the U.S. “Gaps in participation and incomplete reporting demonstrate materially that this work must continue, and we will be pressing the Trump Justice Department and U.S. attorneys so this important work will be ongoing,” Lieberman said. Visit <www.asianreporter.com> and click on the Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela in “Online Paper (PDF)” link to download our last two issues. New York City and Jay Reeves in Birming- ham, Alabama contributed to this report. FBI: Hate crimes against Muslims up by 67 percent in 2015 Continued from page 8 election. At the same time, a videotaped assault in Chicago showed black men beating a white man as onlookers screamed, “You voted Trump!” Trump had said he hadn’t heard reports that some of his supporters might be harassing minorities. “I am so saddened to hear that,” Trump said during an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” ‘‘And I say, stop it. If it, if it helps, I will say this and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it.” According to the FBI report, the majority of hate crimes were motivated by bias against race or ethnicity. Of the 4,216 victims of a hate crime motivated by race or ethnicity, 52 percent were black, 18.7 percent were white, and 9.3 percent were Hispanic or Latino. Crimes against Jews increased about nine percent, while bias incidents involving sexual orientation were up 3.5 percent. Civil-rights groups have expressed concern that a Trump administration could radically reshape the U.S. Department of Justice, particularly when it comes to policing, but also in terms of the priority placed on hate crimes. Those concerns were compounded after Trump named as his chief White House strategist Steve Bannon, who came to his campaign from Breitbart News. Under Bannon’s leadership, the Breitbart website became Become an online reader!
