Disney’s new heroine shines, saves the day sans love interest

MANILA, Philippines – She’s no damsel in distress waiting for a prince charming to save her.

Disney continues its tradition of empowered, young heroines with its latest animated film Moana which tells of an adventurous young woman in the time of ancient Polynesia who takes on the high seas to save her people. 

Along the way, Moana (voiced by Hawaiian acting newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) finds herself and her place in the world — with help (albeit unwilling at first) from a wisecracking demigod named Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). 

Love or a love interest for that matter will have to wait (maybe in the sequel?). “In the film, Moana doesn’t have a love interest which I think is very important. The main moral (story) of that is when Moana goes on a journey, she doesn’t need a prince charming because quite frankly you don’t need anyone else to help you figure out who you are,” Auli’i told reporters from all over Southeast Asia during a recent press junket for the film in Singapore.

Apart from being an inspiring and sweeping story about self-identity as well as family ties and ancestry, the beauty of this CG-animated feature also lies in the perfect voice casting, beginning with Auli’i whose personality shines through the titular character she has given life to. Interestingly, discovering Auli’i pretty much mirrored the story of Moana — how right timing or fate figures in Moana’s quest for purpose in the deep, vast ocean that is life. In Moana the film, (spoiler alert!) the ocean particularly beckons to Moana to counter a growing menace that’s enveloping the island she’s lived in all her life.

“I suppose I now believe in fate because I now believe in myself. It has been a very, very growing year for me. For one, I’m traveling and I’m learning so much through the journey of Moana,” Auli’i said. “And you know, I’m getting a little older, I’m a junior now and I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. That’s something that I feel quite a bit of pressure that, I think, a lot of high school students experience while in transition from (high) school to college, where you home in on your skills and what you want to do for the rest of your life. It’s a big thing, so yeah I believe in fate, in that I now believe in going out on a limb and believing in myself and pursuing things that maybe I don’t think I’m not truly ready for, but maybe I am like this film.”

Film producer Osnat Shurer, on the other hand, revealed during the press roundtable: “There were really, really some talented young women who sent in auditions literally from all over the world with the casting directors everywhere. We wanted to find somebody who first of all can really act and sing. And also who embodies some of the characteristics of the character. This is a character who has kind of a balance of compassion and empathy, and kind of an emotional intelligence if you will and with courage, determination. And she’s strong! So, one of the things we wanted to do was to find someone with that balance.”

Auli’i fit right in like a missing piece in a puzzle. “We saw Auli’i audition, we love her work, we brought her to Burbank (headquarters of Disney) and she auditioned again,” Shurer further said of Auli’i. “And you know, we tease a lot. We (Disney) are a culture wherein we tease each other, we tease her and she teases right back and these are Ron (Clements) and John (Musker) who made the movies she grew up in,” referring to the famed old hands at Walt Disney Animation Studios who were responsible for the now-Disney classics The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.   

Shurer added, “She has no fear, she’s not afraid and yet is grounded in this great warmth and has a great connection with her culture and incredibly warm and beautiful family. All of that came through in her acting and singing. We just knew (it was her). And then, add to all that, I took a picture of her in the recording booth and audition, and behind her is our fully-designed Moana character and they look alike. That was a bonus.”  

The making of the film involved several research trips to Samoa, Fiji and Tahiti, Hawaii and New Zealand; and repeated visits to local communities to learn more about their culture and their arts, said Shurer.

Asked about her thoughts on the authenticity of the film, Auli’i admitted that like others, she initially had reservations about it.

“I admit that before I worked on Moana, I think everyone was a little interested (at the same time) a little wary of the film because, of course, we want a film inspired by our culture to be done right.”

She continued, “(But now) I can honestly say, I’m so proud of this. I’m so proud of what it has become. I’m so proud of the time and the tons that directors and producers have researched this film, to really get connected to our culture, to understand that wayfinding (or) navigating under the stars was something that they truly did, and which I’ll always be proud of because my ancestors did that.”

According to the production notes, central to the film story is actual history of the so-called “greatest sailors in the world who masterfully navigated the vast Pacific ocean,” uncovering many islands of Oceania in the process. Three thousand years ago, these voyages were halted, lasting for a millennium. Theories abound as to what and why these happened.

In the film, this history in navigation underpins the story of Moana. Despite being confined to the island and its community for the longest time, and so, consequently clueless about the wayfinding exploits of her ancestors which have become stuff children storytelling sessions are made of, Moana is inextricably drawn to the ocean. Groomed to become the next most important leader of her community, she takes things several steps further by embarking on a journey that’s bound to change her life and that of others forever. 

Like Moana, Auli’i’s life has been changed dramatically since nabbing the Disney project. The 15-year-old teen initially didn’t pursue the role. But a Hawaii-based casting director, who remembered her performance in a video submission to a fundraising event, asked Auli’i to try out. Three auditions later, and many thanks to her pure, raw talent, she earned the title role.

One of the biggest opportunities this film has bestowed on her is that she gets to showcase her singing talent. 

She said, “It’s an incredible blessing given to me to play this wonderful character. I do sing in the film. I love singing, I love performing this character because she’s so close to my heart. This film is inspired by the Polynesian culture. I’m Polynesian and to hear those influences in the music, as well as those instruments, those voices in the background helped fulfill (my dream); that it’s not like I was playing a character, which helped me a lot. When I was in recording, I actually asked the lights to be dimmed a bit because I didn’t want to put on a show, I didn’t feel like I have to, not in front of them, as they were family at this point.

“If in fact it does come to a point where I would get to do more singing, or acting or voice acting or more onscreen (work), I’d love that! It’s so much fun. It’s a passion of mine. I’m happy wherever it leads me.”

Of course, her playing the role had not been without challenges. “This is my first-ever film, first everything besides backroom plays I would put for my mom. I had challenges but it was mostly kind of figuring out what I was doing in the recording booth. I had a lot of fun with it, I got to really connect to my character, I got to become my character,” said Auli’i. “(Moana) grows up in an island, so do I. She’s deeply into her culture, so am I. (Voicing the character) was a lot of fun, I loved it so much.

She added, “Moana is a definite heroine. The journey that Moana goes on across miles and miles of oceans but (which is also a) personal and emotional journey to find herself — that’s something close to my heart.”

In the film, one of the most lingering one-liners is Moana’s mantra in an effort to convince Maui to help her: “I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat and restore the heart to Te Fiti.” The declaration starts out with hesitation then eventually rings with conviction. 

Asked if she has any ala-Moana mantra, she said: “I would just say that I’m Auli’i and that I need to learn that I’m my own person. I think Moana goes through that as well, the journey to find herself. Through this year, especially, I have a lot of growth — through the film, through traveling, through school, like it’s my junior year, it’s a big growth period for me.

She added, “I’m an only child. It was my mom who named me; (my name) means dainty, exquisite and perfect (laughs). Thank you, mom!.. I would say, I’m Auli’i and that’s who I am.”

Meanwhile, adding more color and spark to the story is the music. The team behind the songs includes no less than the Tony and Grammy-winning lyricist and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose latest work is the smash Broadway show Hamilton.

True to what the producers say, it‘s a good fusion of music. The songs range from very Broadway-sounding like the number accompanying a standout underwater fight scene that has all the feels of your favorite mega musical, to the anthemic, last-song-syndrome worthy movie theme How Far I’ll Go.

Shurer said of Lin-Manuel, who not so long ago came to the Philippines to open the Philippine theater run of In The Heights, “Oh my god, he is amazing! We got him before Hamilton. We were in New York talking to him, and we loved him in In The Heights and everything he’s done. He’s a lovely, lovely man.”

Disney’s Moana is now showing in Philippine theaters.