Disney’s latest animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon is a groundbreaking film. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada and written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, the film is the first from the studio to feature a Southeast Asian Disney princess and center its story in the culture of the region. Set in the fictional fantasy world of Kumandra, the action-packed film tells the tale of a broken world and its divided people shattered from not only their distrust of one another, but a terrible threat destroying life as they know it and a young woman, Raya, determined to find the legendary last dragon and, hopefully, restore the world. It’s a story deeply steeped in the culture of the Southeast Asian region, but even with the rich and long overdue cultural representation, Raya and the Last Dragon is an exquisite and universal film that offers viewers not only a beautiful story but a message for everyone no matter where you’re from.
