((exclusive)) — Moana Dubbing Indonesia

In 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana , a film about a Polynesian girl who sails across the ocean to save her people. Unlike many previous Disney princesses, Moana was not marketed primarily to Western audiences; the film’s authenticity relied on consultation with Pacific Islander cultural advisors. For Indonesia, which shares Austronesian roots with Polynesia but possesses a distinct, majority-Muslim identity, the dubbing process required careful navigation. This paper addresses three key questions:

The Indonesian dubbing of Moana succeeded commercially and artistically, but not without trade-offs. By casting a celebrity (Maudy Ayunda), Disney gained marketing power at the cost of some vocal authenticity. By rewriting “How Far I’ll Go” as “Aku Bahagia,” the team prioritized cultural resonance over literal translation. And by mixing formal and colloquial Indonesian, the dub created a unique linguistic register that felt both national and local. Ultimately, Moana in Indonesian is not a direct copy of the original but a reinterpretation—one that tells a story of a young Indonesian woman (in spirit) finding happiness, not just distance. moana dubbing indonesia

Ayu had grown up in a small coastal village in North Sulawesi, where the sound of the Celebes Sea was her constant lullaby. When she moved to the bustling city, she felt like a fish out of water until she found her voice in the dubbing booth. In 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana

In the heart of Jakarta, a young voice actress named stood before a glowing microphone, her heart racing like the waves of the Pacific. She wasn't just recording any film; she had been chosen to provide the Indonesian voice for Moana in the official Disney dub, Moana: Berlayar ke Seberang Laut . The Call of the Ocean This paper addresses three key questions: The Indonesian