Two world renowned movie directors under the Disney label have dedicated their latest hit, Moana to the peoples of the Pacific islands.
Ron Celements and John Musker, producer Osnat Shurer and Auli’i Cravalho who provides the vocal talent for the character of Moana are in Samoa for a special screening of the movie.
“We did this for you,” Clements told a packed out Apollo Cinema in Apia last night.
“Most of the movie was based around Samoa and then we tried our best to touch every part of the Pacific with it. Every dance, word and culture,” he said.
“It was a tough job. We had to be here five years ago just to learn the culture and the Pacific as a whole. We hope it represented that fine,” he added.
Musker admitted that building a strong lead character to represent the Pacific was the biggest challenge.
“We wanted to include so many rich cultures in one movie and so we came to the Pacific to learn that. We didn’t want to confuse things,” he said.
“To our surprise, we learnt a lot about how the Pacific were great navigators, or “wayfinders”. So we got some expert advice from the Center of Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa and we even got to travel around the island meeting different people to tell their story of Samoa,” said Musker.
One of the stars of the movie, 16 year old Hawaiian born, Auli’i Cravalho was stunned by the hospitality she received since arriving on island.
“It’s incredible to be here. It’s my first time and I’m excited to show our work to our people. It’s so important that we get this spotlight on our Pacific cultures, and I’m honored to be a part of it,” she said.
Dwayne Johnson who provided the vocal talent for demi-god Maui was unable to attend the red carpet event in Apia last night.
However, he did send a shout to all the guests and his fans.
“Samoa, I wish I was there to witness this with you. I am so proud of what we made and I cannot wait to have it on screen to show our culture and there’s no better way to show you how excited I am for tonight, than our traditionally inspired, CHEEEEHOO,” said Johnson.
There will be another special screening of Moana for the public at the National University of Samoa tonight.
The film crew and directors will visit other parts of Samoa before flying out this weekend.
Moana is the story of a young girl (Auli'i Cravalho) who uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
Photo: Auli'i Cravalho at the red carpet screening of the movie Moana in Apia last night