If 2024 was undoubtedly a prosperous year for animated cinema, notably thanks to gems like The Wild Robot the Chris Sanders, Flow de Gynts Zillodis, The Most Precious of Goods by Michel Hazanavicius, we always look forward to Christmas Disney. And what a joy to find a heroine who made us vibrate in 2016: Vaianadirected at the time by the shock duo John Musker and Ron Clements, historic pillars of the Hollywood studio who participated in its resurrection with classics like The Little Mermaid (1989) et Aladdin (1992). It's not easy to find their successors to sign the continuation of the adventures of this Tahitian navigator who is not afraid of anything, and even less of braving the elements to provide for the needs of her people.
At the Annecy Festival, David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand presented a sample of the film still in production, to wild applause from the audience. The first's physique reflects his island origins, with his mid-length, curly salt and pepper hair, his shirt with Polynesian motifs and his tattoos on his arms. This defector from DreamWorks brings his expertise to accurately transcribe the culture, mythology, traditions, songs, dances, fauna and flora of the Pacific.
Vaiana lived for a long time under the protection of her father, a village chief installed on an isolated motu, who forbade her from approaching the ocean, a source of mortal dangers. But the call from the open sea was too strong and she did not hesitate for a single second to board a canoe and cross the coral reef to look for a way to feed her family, when the coconut trees began to rot on her island in a very mysterious way. Thus, the reckless explorer in search of emancipation set out to conquer the world in order to understand who she was and where she came from, guided by the spirits of her ancestors.
Particular care is taken in the restitution of Polynesia on screen
She hasn't changed: still just as enthusiastic, energetic, determined to take her destiny head on. After receiving a sign from the sky, she unearths an ancient artifact which proves the existence of populations scattered all over the Pacific Ocean and decides to reconnect them together. To the great dismay of her little sister, who wants to keep her close to her. Moana does not set out alone this time, accompanied by the demigod Maui and an improbable but valiant crew, to face the threats lurking in the depths or on the surface. Legends, curses, sea monsters and angry deities: the odyssey will not be easy for the young girl who puts herself entirely at the service of her community.
After the global success of the first opus which totaled $645 million in revenue, the pressure was great not to disappoint the fans. “This was our main source of motivationadmet Jason Hand. We worked very hard for three years to tell a new chapter in Moana's life. It is always an initiatory story, because we learn and gain maturity whatever our age. » By tackling a current topic: union rather than division. “We must identify what connects us, not what separates ushe continues. Starting with the collective experience of cinema that we cherish and support. » Particular care is taken in the restitution of Polynesia on screen.
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The production thus created the Oceanic Cultural Fund, a group guaranteeing respect for authenticity whenever it was necessary to reproduce the smallest detail of the ecosystem or centuries-old customs, made up of anthropologists, archaeologists, historians , linguists, craftsmen, specialists “academic qualifications or acquired in the field”. “Their opinion was valuable to us,” says David Derrick Jr. “I was able to pay homage to my Samoan roots dear to my heart through this personal project, with the immense responsibility of not betraying them. A third of the planet's surface area is occupied by the seas, which my ancestors sailed to discover the lands there, from Tahiti to New Zealand. Great travelers whose merit is passed over in silence. »
All the actors who give their voices to the protagonists are of Polynesian origin, with Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock in the lead. The result commands admiration: visually dazzling, Vaiana 2 oscillates between striking photorealism and artistic gesture full of poetry. A technical feat that left the filmmakers on their knees. “Luckily, we had good support,” says Jason Hand. The animators are in search of excellence, they start again until they are exhausted and hope to achieve perfection. We experiment, we fail, we stick together, we laugh. In fact, it's like the Tour de France: a crazy challenge, very physical, which pushes the limits. At the end, we are happy to have reached the end and we forget the pain and the moments of discouragement! (Laughs.) »
Vaiana 2by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller. 1:40 a.m. Release Wednesday November 27, 2024.
France
