Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546606
M O A N A G R A P H I C S | P E R S P E C T I V E 2 9 Cultural Accuracy in Moana And that brings us to my work on Disney's live-action version of Moana. I was hired by Jan Pascale to learn the language of Samoan iconography and design the village's one hundred and ten siapos—large gridded 'murals' painted on handmade mulberry barkcloth and hung in homes and town council fales. The fale is the architectural style of traditional buildings common in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. It features large poles which support a grass roof. All elements of the structure feature beautiful artwork, including wood carving and decorative rope tying. Siapos, hung between these poles, tell the story of a particular family, what is important to them and their status in the community. They remind me a little of the way traditional American quilts look—each full of love and respect for the village. Finding Information— An Atmosphere of Learning Of course Disney, having produced two other films about Moana, has taken the authenticity of Polynesian life very seriously and they provided an atmosphere of learning to those of us who were new to the culture. Noessa Higa, head of research for the show, cultivated a team that helped shape the film's B. VILLAGE EXTERIOR WITH FALE. SET PHOTO. C. VILLAGE SQUARE FROM INSIDE A FALE. SET PHOTO. D. RESEARCH IMAGE OF AN ISLAND WOMAN CREATES A SIAPO IN THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF RUBBING NATURAL DYES OVER AN EMBOSSED PLATE TO CREATE THE PATTERN. E. RESEARCH IMAGE. POLYNESIAN SIAPO AT THE ROSE BOWL FLEA MARKET. B C D E