Lāiana Kanoa-Wong played a key role in ensuring the cultural accuracy of Hawai‘i in the newly released live-action “Lilo & Stitch."
As an educator, Kanoa-Wong’s life has been dedicated to Hawaiian language and culture since he was 13. He grew up speaking ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i as a Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Ānuenue student.
He’s since worked on film projects such as “Hae Hawai‘i,” “NCIS: Hawai‘i” and “Moana 2.”
“This is another unique way to share our language and culture,” he said. “People get to see our history and mo‘olelo.”
The opening song was one of the major changes in the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” film. The classic animated 2002 song “He Mele No Lilo,” written by Kumu Hula Mark Keli‘i Ho‘omalu, is derived from the traditional Hawaiian chant, “Mele Inoa No Kalākaua.”
Kanoa-Wong said some community members raised concerns about the song after the animated film's release because the song was about the late Hawaiian monarch.
“The mele for Kalākaua is awesome for Kalākaua,” he said. “Now, how do we do this one for ‘Lilo & Stitch?’”
Ho‘omalu crafted a new opening song for the film, “He Lei Pāpahi No Lilo A Me Stitch,” with the Kamehameha Schools students singing the chorus, much like the original.
“He created something about a beautiful lei that was gifted to Hawai‘i,” Kanoa-Wong said.
There’s been an uptick in the trend of accurately representing the Pacific Islands in film. Hollywood has historically excluded Indigenous voices in movies, a specialty when it comes to Pacific Islander stories.
Kanoa-Wong said there’s been more cultural awareness from moviegoers and a craving for authenticity.
“You’re seeing more appreciation for different storylines, different cultural foundations, or settings in films and stories,” he said. “I think the team did an excellent job.”
He said it’s essential for Pacific islanders to tell their stories, or no one else will.
“You have few solid people from their communities who are helping or at the table making a difference,” he said. “I think it's always easier to challenge or question things, but at the same time, we have to go back to seeing our roles. How do we help uplift our cultures and communities the best way that we can?”
Kanoa-Wong also helped with the pronunciation of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i and pidgin. He was behind the coaching of actress Amy Hill, who plays a local auntie in the film.
“She has a lot of the local slang. She was so fun to work with,” he said. “She sounds like our tutu and aunties. The people scold or help us by giving us good feedback, but from a local lens. You’ll hear a lot of pidgin in the film.”
Kanoa-Wong said he hopes the film resonates with local audiences. The film personally resonates with him because he lost his wife a few years ago and is currently raising his children alone.
Part of the movie’s story is about how Nani, Lilo’s older sister, has taken on the matriarchal role of caring for her sibling.
“It pulls on your heartstrings,” he said. “You feel the soul and aloha, but there’s some humor to help balance things.”
He also hopes that one day, the film industry will get to a place where there won’t be a need for cultural consultants, but there will be a production of Indigenous people who already have a cultural lens.
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