HONOLULU — The 2016 Disney film “Moana” re-recorded in the Hawaiian language will be given to every accredited school across Hawaii.
The Hawaiian-language version of the animated film premiered in Hawaii over the summer following a yearlong effort by University of Hawaii faculty and students, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported this week.
About 10,000 words were translated and about 4,000 sound files were recorded by student engineers to produce the Hawaiian version of the Oscar-nominated film. More than 30 Hawaiian-language speakers and singers were cast for the re-recording, said Chris Lee, director and founder of the university’s Academy for Creative Media.
Auli’i Cravalho, of Mililani, also participated, lending her voice again for the eponymous character.
The film is about a Polynesian teenage girl who embarks on a journey to save her island people and revive ancient wayfinding traditions.
“This was an educational endeavor to encourage students to learn olelo Hawaii and we are so grateful to our partners at Disney Animation and Disney Character Voices International for making this possible,” Lee said in a statement.
The Academy for Creative Media system funded and coordinated the project. The film was re-recorded at Honolulu Community College’s MELE Studio.
It’s also the first Disney movie to be re-recorded in the Hawaiian language. It was also translated into the Maori language.