Apart from the obvious heartwarming thoughts that accompany a film like Moana, tissues are highly recommended. Teary eyes and giggles are almost immediate. The music, voices, story and characters all come together with depth and simplicity. A mesmerizing animated film that while words can be used to describe, it’s impossible to live without experiencing it. To tell you more about the making of the film are two beloved stars, Polynesian wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson and Puerto Rican artist and activist Lin Manuel Miranda.

“When I first interviewed for this job, I walked into a room with Ron and John, makers of my favorite Disney film of all time, and I said, ‘You’re the reason I even get to walk into this room.’ And I think I probably scared them a little bit ‘cause I quoted some obscure section of The Little Mermaid that they had since forgotten about.” Between laughs, Miranda told us that while “you want to maintain the best of the Disney traditions. At the same time, we’re telling this very unique story from this very unique part of the world” and on the journey of finding the pulse of the music of Moana, a challenge emerged. “I will admit that the first time I sat down at my piano to work on this, I remember thinking, ‘Don’t think about Let it Go. Don’t think about Let it Go. Don’t think about Let it Go.’ And then, I’d start singing Let it Go. But you solve that problem by just really, really getting inside the heads of your characters. My way into Moana, in particular, was you know the way she feels the call of the sea is the way I felt about writing music and making movies and singing songs. I was 16 years old and living on 200th st in Manhattan and thinking, ‘The distance between where I am and where I want to be seems impossibly large.’ So, I got myself into that mind-set to write her songs.”

Miranda also wrote a song for Dwayne Johnson. In our time at the press conference, many wondered, ‘How did you get The Rock to sing?’ “When Dwayne accepted the role, he said, ‘So, what are you giving me to sing?,’ and he was really excited for this. For me, I went to YouTube, where the answers always lie. I’m a big fan of his wrestling days and there was a time where he would pull out a guitar and taunt whatever town he was in. And so, I got a really good sense of his vocal range from that 10-minute super cut, and then the rest of it was just writing lyrics that embody the spirit of Maui, who is this amazing demi-god and trickster god. Once I had the title, You’re Welcome, which only Dwayne could pull off and still have you love him and root for him, we were off to the races.” Dwayne Johnson added, “It was an opportunity to challenge myself. Lin did his research and, by the time I got the song, it was in my comfortable range, but there were also parts of the song which pushed me a little bit. I appreciate that because that’s what I needed, vocally. I had such a great time. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had, in my career, working on this project, and certainly working on that song. We all love challenges, and this was a challenge because the bar is set so incredibly high, to sing in a Disney film.” 

Making a film that celebrates your culture can bring hesitance. Johnson admits, “There was some hesitance from a lot of people in our culture about, ‘What’s going to happen if our culture is going to be showcased, for the very first time, on this level and in this capacity from Disney? What’s gonna happen?’ I can tell you… with great confidence that we were in such great hands. Anyone who knows John Lasseter [executive producer] knows that he has manna in his soul and in his body. This was a very important project to him… There’s so much noise that’s happening in our world, but the little voice that you’ve always got to listen to is your gut and your intuition and you can do things and go beyond boundaries and you have to trust that gut and instinct.” Composer Opetaia Foa’i shared that as a Polynesian, his “journey has been from the village to the city.” He expressed his satisfaction with Moana. “Our ancestors are happy with this movie, culturally speaking.” Also Polynesian is Auli'i Cravalho. A young woman who at the age of just 16 is already making headlines for her portrayal of Moana. Enthusiastic about her role and what the film represents, she said, “To have a film like this that will inspire me. To have a character that will inspire others as well to become rooted in who they truly are. That’s something that inspires me and that I hope will inspire others as well.” 

For those wondering what inspired the film, director Ron Clements expressed that it was co-director John Musker’s idea to ‘make a movie based on the world of the Pacific islands and the mythology.’ The evolution of this idea and research began with a trip to Tahiti. “It was the basis of the movie in terms of the connection to navigation, to peoples connection to their ancestors, respect for nature. A lot of those ideas came from that first research trip [Tahiti] and the movie was heavily inspired by that.” 

To fully grasp a film like Moana, there is no better way than to experience it. Dwayne Johnson shared with us his experience on watching the film for the first time. “In life we get an opportunity to do some cool things and some things that are fun and that we like doing… I was so moved when I saw the movie for a variety of reasons. Not only do you work on it, but you pour your heart and soul into it. It’s culture. The grandmother in the movie, Gramma Tala, is like my grandmother and like so many of our grandmothers. And I think that when I saw it in a very little theater with a group of people, what I noticed… is they were floating when they walked out of the theater. That was such a cool thing to be a part of.” He admitted, “In my entire career I’ve never cried consistently through a movie. Ever! And anyway, it was a very, very special thing.”

As an “opening act” to Moana is the animated short, Inner Workings. This short manages to capture the workings of the human mind in a very animated and relatable way. There’s something in it for everyone, but especially for the adult working mind. The protagonist in this story is both the heart and the brain. The two work against each other and with each other. The moral of this short resonates, but in fairly different ways. Producer Sean Lurie expressed his view of the film. “A little bit of the message is sometimes we have reluctance or fear, or we’re worried about something. Sometimes we push past that and take some chances and ‘attempt to live your life to its fullest’ is a little bit of the main idea for me.” Director Leonardo Matsuda told us that while he agrees with Luries perspective on Inner Workings, he analyzes the story on a more local and “realistic” level. He explains, “I think this short really related to L.A. and Hollywood… I wanted to be very serious about it. Even though the short is funny.” Matsuda talks about a turning point where the main character is left with the decision of an attitude choice or a point of view. Because you have to do something, should you choose to look at it in a different way? “I want that moment to be serious because I feel, this is the reality but it doesn't mean because it’s the reality we have to be pessimistic.” 

To fully grasp the concept of Inner Workings and its message, catch it when it opens in theaters along with Moana on November 23.