Raya and the Last Dragon is an animated Disney movie that has a lot to say. In a world where skepticism and division are rife of late, the film's exploration of trust, unity and friendship has never been more urgent. Yet as vital as it is for any film to address these themes, it is Raya's approach to (and examination of) her representation and inclusion that sets her apart from her contemporaries. As Disney takes steps to address its disputed past regarding racial stereotyping, Raya and the Last Dragon seems to be a step in the right direction, and the relevance of putting diversity at the center of Studio N's latest animated film is not clear. lose in the movie. crew. . Ahead of Raya's initial Disney Plus Premier Access release in March (the film is now free to all Disney Plus subscribers), TechRadar chatted with the film's head of story, Fawn Veerasunthorn. and Disney environment modeling author, Competition Rhea, to discuss how Raya reflects Disney's progress in becoming more inclusive research. We also chatted about how the film community helped drive more representation and the difficulties of making a film during the Covid-XNUMX pandemic.
Making Movies Throughout a Pandemic
(Image Credit: Paul Felix / Disney) Raya and the Last Dragon follows Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior in search of the last living dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) after an ominous event. The Druun, a soulless, imbecile plague born of negativity, has wiped out large swaths of Kumandra's human population, and it's up to Raya to track down Sisu and destroy the Druun threat for good. It will not be easy. Sisu's Dragon Gem, a magical stone that put an end to the first Druun attack five hundred years earlier, was destroyed during a massive altercation between warring factions in Kumandra, and it's up to Raya to repair the gem and restore peace. on your planet. The plot of Disney's latest film may have been built around working together to achieve a common purpose, but the 5-strong film crew had no idea that their themes would soon find their way to the real world. At the height of Raya's production in the month of March XNUMX, the Covid-XNUMX pandemic was generated. As the team was now forced to complete development remotely, many problems arose. We had to acquire equipment and deliver it to more than four hundred homes, solve Internet problems, change workflows and channels, and stop spontaneous visits to people's offices. In the cases of Veerasunthorn and Rhea, however, these drawbacks pale in comparison to a far greater drawback: family. “One of the biggest challenges was work-life balance,” says Veerasunthorn. “Suddenly, the schools closed, so I had a little boy, who was in kindergarten, who was home all the time and ran around. She had to come to the assemblies because there were no other alternatives. “She was XNUMX XNUMX/XNUMX months pregnant when the lockdown happened,” adds Rhea. “I was concerned about how ergonomically she would work at home. But Disney worked very quickly to provide us with everything we needed. It was something we needed to fix quickly. “When can we do the job? "And" At what point can we bump into each other? But there was a lot of wiggle room to figure out how to make this work again. "
Celebrating the culture of Southeast Asia
(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios) Even before the pandemic, the biggest challenge Raya's team faced was genuinely recreating an area of the planet that is often overlooked in mainstream popular culture: the Southeast. Asian, which Disney had not yet explored in detail in its films.
Since the film is set in the false land of Kumandra, paying homage to the plurality of ethnicities and traditions of the real planet in Southeast Asia was a key focus throughout the production.
To accurately depict Southeast Asian heritage and ways of life on screen, Raya's team consisted of Disney employees with connections to the area and specialists from different countries on the real planet.
A native of Thailand, Veerasunthorn, alongside storytellers Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen, whose roots lie in Malaysia and Vietnam respectively, provided a glimpse into the film's many details. Disney's Southeast Story Trust, made up of noted scholars led by Laotian visual anthropologist Steve Aroundsack, also ensured that details including costumes, food, fighting styles and the tradition of strong Southeast Asian female leaders are recreated. faithfully.
The pressure to genuinely represent their culture and that of other ethnicities, in Veerasunthorn's opinion, was evident from the start. Still, a general sense of motivation to give an authentic representation of Southeast Asia ultimately prevailed over their concerns.
"There are a lot of overlapping ways of life between different ethnic groups in this area," says Veerasunthorn. “The proximity of water and its relevance in our rituals, awareness and respect for the invisible planet, and the relevance of the family and respect for the elderly. This will be the first time I've seen my culture portrayed on this scale before, so it needs to be done right. When you think of Asian representation, people think of East Asia. I think this film will be able to show that there are different, different and beautiful ethnic groups on the continent.
She was 5½ months pregnant at the time of delivery.
Rhea Competition, Disney Environment Modeler For team members without these experiences, research trips (taken before the pandemic) to countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia helped immerse them in different ethnicities. Communication between Raya's Southeast Asia consultants and the many largometraje departments, such as modeling and animation, was also vital to ensure that Kumandra's environments, architecture, and people were realized. with precision.
“While this is a terrific adventure movie, you can really feel them in environments and artwork,” Rhea said. “As modelers, we've worked closely with the art director (David Wormsley) and the visual effects team, and we have a library of photos and videos to really see and put ourselves in that open space. I think when people watch the movie, they're going to see that the environments are so rich in Southeast Asian ethnic inspiration.
Today's best Disney plus deals Given the distinctions between Southeast Asian nations and ethnicities, it was essential that each be uniquely represented. The 5 lands of Kumandra (Heart, Talon, Fang, Spine, and Tail) have been given their unique personalities and aesthetics to give them individual identities and connect with the film's goal of inclusion and diversity.
Although the environments of each country differ in style and tone, there is an incessant throughout that points to a universal heritage of Southeast Asia: the preeminent role that water plays in the area.
With Sisu modeled after the Naga serpentine dragons of Southeast Asia and the historical context of water in her culture, Rhea's experiences working on another water-based film, Frozen Two, assisted in creating the convenient setting for the aquatic sequences of Stripe.
“Our departments are divided into modeling and effects, and these are the ones that handle all the water,” says Rhea.
The charm of the characters and musicals is missing
(Image credit: Ami Thompson / Disney) Equally essential from an acting perspective was casting the right actors for Raya's different roles. Character laundering has become a much-discussed topic in the film industry, and more recently, Marvel Studios (a Disney affiliate) has admitted that it regretted casting a white actress, Tilda Swinton, as The Ancient One, an individual from Himalayan descent, in two thousand and sixteen. Doctor Strange .
While Disney continues to combat, acknowledge, and treat its contested history with cultural stereotypes, Raya's predominantly Asian cast seems to be a step in the right direction, even though the film has received criticism from some for its lack. East Asia.
Disney therefore still has a long way to go to correct these shortcomings. Where the studio excels, however, is in creating credible and relevant relationships between the various leads in its films. In Raya and Sisu, Disney's latest animated film features 2 of these characters brought to life in a stellar way by their voice actors.
“Every time Awkwafina recorded, I couldn't wait to hear what he brought back,” says Veerasunthorn. “Sometimes it was imposed and the managers encouraged it. And for Kelly, I think there's a subtlety to her performance that makes her feel like a warrior and a really nice person that you want to get to know. You want to teach strength, but not in a stoic or serious way. I think Kelly really gave it a good balance.
Raya and the Last Dragon has plenty of traditional Disney quirks, but perhaps its most surprising exclusion is the song harmonies. As terrific as James Newton Howard's stirring score is, some fans may be disappointed that Raya's fan is not a regular part of the song. Veerasunthorn reveals, however, that this was never the plan.
“It didn't start out as a musical,” he explains. “Our managers wanted to try to do something modern, so we had to use split screen, fast cuts and comedy that the team really enjoys. It was great that we had a movie that feels like a period piece. The story is traditional but still has all the heart and entertainment of Disney.
When you think of Asian representation, people think of East Asia. I think this film is going to be able to show multiple ethnicities on the continent.
Head of Fawn Veerasunthorn's story Raya and the Last Dragon represents a major step forward for Disney. This is not the first of his many films to start to deliver on his promise of greater representation, but it is a film that celebrates the uniqueness and uniqueness of Southeast Asia in great detail.
With its Stories Matter program leading the way in redefining how The Walt Disney Company reflects the planet around it, we should see a more diverse lineup of Disney movies in the future. Managing a space to tell stories about different ethnicities and areas of the planet is imperative these days, and it is a hope that many viewers are waiting for Disney to continue.
“We knew we wanted to make our film modern so that today's audiences could enjoy it,” says Veerasunthorn. "But we also want people to have a talk with their family members about these issues. . As filmmakers, we are aware that we need to put this in the film, not only for the specificity but also for the authenticity of the audience in this area.