Encanto Sparks Conversation About Diversity Both On and Off Screen
For decades, white, European characters sat at the heart of animated productions. The story lines chronicled their triumphs and struggles with catchy songs embodying themes of friendship and betrayal, love and loss, truth and happiness. In 2009 the first Black protagonist, The Princess and the Frog’s Tiana, hit the box office. A few years later Moana hit the screen, and Coco followed. These movies were all generally well received at first glance, but had deeper, unresolved criticism at their core.
In 2021, we were graced with Encanto. A movie heralded for its heartfelt representation of Colombian culture and family. There were key pillars and relatable themes for the entire LatinX community in the film, rather than ancillary details. These themes gave an on screen presence to LatinX culture, instead of simply trying to appeal to multiple communities under one identity – like Coco’s representation of the Mexican community.
Encanto tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal, she belongs to a family where everyone has a magical gift except her. Her sisters have their own unique powers: one is incredibly strong and the other is admired for her grace and ability to produce flowers out of nowhere. But Mirabel was never given a special gift, which is a regular source of tension for her and her Abuela. The magical house that protects Mirabel and her family starts to crumble, seemingly cracking under the tension her family faces. This sends Mirabel on a quest to save her ‘Casita’ and creates a storyline about Colombian culture, rather than just a plot set in Colombia. LatinX communities related to Mirabel’s journey to save her home in an inherently broken country. They also heralded the movie’s portrayal of Colombia, which is often trivialized down to a violent and drug-ridden country.
All communities found at least something to relate to in Encanto, whether it be the energy or celebration of culture. This is maybe the most important call out of all, because it shows the evergreen nature of the film; and while Encanto did get many aspects of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion right, the 2022 Oscars left many fans feeling disheartened.
When directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush took the stage to accept the awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, audiences were surprised to see two white men at the center of a movie that hinged on Latin American culture. They were also disappointed to see the success and triumph associated with Disney’s move toward inclusivity traced back to a white production team.
This underscores the value and importance of authenticity when it comes to DEI. Every idea, decision and implication has to be equally vetted and considered. The LatinX community is so central to Encanto’s success, and the production crew should reflect that. The directors and producers are at the heart of a movie, even though the actors might take center stage. Encanto’s cast clearly and authentically represented the movie, but the same level of attention and delineation should have been applied to the off-screen crew.
Despite the controversy, it’s important to note that Lin Manuel Miranda played a huge part in the movie’s successes. Miranda crafted the narrative by developing the soundtrack, and Howard and Bush built the idea with Miranda’s input and direction. Unfortunately, Miranda was unable to attend the ceremony because he was exposed to Covid, but he was nonetheless a key to crafting the heart and soul of the film. Accepting a tangible token of achievement for the film without giving credit to Miranda was, simply put, a bad look.
The journey toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion isn’t linear, but Encanto represented major progress towards the goal of DEI in its truest form. Our goal as a collective of certified diverse agencies is to help brands understand their past in order to get it right in the future. Authenticity at every level is definitely key in that equation.