Where & When Moana Takes Place

Where & When Moana Takes Place

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Moana is an ancient tale set on a fictional island, but the story, characters, and culture depicted are drawn from real Polynesian islands.

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Where & When Moana Takes Place

Disney’s Moana takes place in the Pacific Islands in the distant past, but is there a more detailed answer to the question of where and when Moana is set? The animated film became an instant classic as soon as it hit theaters in 2016, and will return in the recently announced TV series on Disney+ in 2023.

Moana’s catchy tunes, stunning animation, and heartfelt story garnered rave reviews – but it was the dynamic and vulnerable lead character, Moana, coupled with the rich and detailed setting, that really made Moana work. Moana’s story focuses heavily on culture, tradition, and generational experience, all of which have been passed down for centuries through oral traditions by the diverse peoples of Oceania – a region in the South Pacific Ocean containing more than 10,000 islands.

The name Moana, which means ocean in multiple Polynesian languages, is a tribute to the life-force that connects all of Oceania. Moana draws inspiration from elements of various cultures throughout Oceania, but there are a few indicators that place Moana in a specific geographic location and point in time.

Where Does Moana Take Place?

Where & When Moana Takes Place

The production team that worked on Moana took several trips to the South Pacific and visited many locations including Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand), Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, and Fiji. Moana’s home island, Motunui, is fictional, but the production team drew a map of Moana’s journey (which can be found in the book The Art of Moana) that places Motunui east of Tonga, near the real-world location of Niue. Te Fiti’s island was based on Tahiti. While Moana combines aspects of many Polynesian cultures, there are a few islands that more closely resemble Motunui than others.

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Geographically and visually, Motunui closely resembles Tutuila and Tetiꞌaroa – both of which were reportedly visited by Disney’s production team. Culturally, Motunui has a lot of similarities to Samoa. The dwellings on Motunui resemble the Samoan fale, the word tattoo originates from the Samoan tatau as well as the traditional male tattoo Pe’a (though it should be noted that tatau is a part of many Polynesian cultures). Maui is a hero and trickster in various mythologies, but a demigod or kolohe in Samoa (like in Moana), and the song “We Know The Way” contains some lyrics in Tokelauan – which, according to Tokelauan composer Opetaia Foa’i, resembles Samoan closely enough that Samoan speakers can understand Tokelauan [via The Spinoff].

When Does Moana Take Place?

According to archaeologists, people first arrived in the Western Polynesian islands roughly 3,500 years ago, but “after arriving in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, Polynesians took a break – for almost 2,000 years – before voyaging forth again” [via Smithsonian Magazine]. This centuries-long period of time is known as The Long Pause, which inspired a plot point in Moana. Moana is set about 2,000 years ago, which would have been sometime during The Long Pause. In Moana, the people of Motunui never travel beyond the reef because of a longstanding tradition that isn’t fully explained in Moana. By the end of the film, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) rediscovers the history of her ancestors, who were voyagers and wayfinders.

It’s been theorized that The Long Pause was caused by insufficient technology to overcome the strong winds that prevented the peoples of Polynesia from voyaging eastward [via The New York Times]. Other theories include that The Long Pause ended due to “a favorable wind caused by a sustained period of El Niño, to visible supernovas luring the stargazing islanders to travel, to ciguatera poisoning caused by algae blooms.” Once they figured out how to overcome their obstacles, the ancient Polynesians resumed their explorations and “discovered and settled nearly every inhabitable island in the central and eastern Pacific” [via Smithsonian Magazine].

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Moana is a new kind of Disney princess film that features an incredibly complex heroine whose story focuses on her personal growth, family, and friendship – all without the need for developing romantic attachments. While the film still bore its share of criticism, Moana marked a new chapter of film production for Disney, where the production team collaborated with people across Oceania to create an inspiring and beloved film.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/moana-movies-time-period-setting-when-where/

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