Walt Disney Animation Studios to Create Sámi Language Translation of Frozen 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios Will Soon Begin Casting for the Sámi Language Version of Frozen 2, as a Result of a Collaboration Between WDAS and the Sámi People.
BURBANK, California, & KARASJOK, Norway, KIRUNA, Sweden, INARI, Finland,
July 19th, 2019
The Sámi language version of the film is a result of a collaboration between the Sámi Parliamentary Council (SPC) and The Saami Council and Walt Disney Animation Studios, wherein filmmakers of Frozen 2 have sought and received consultation with a Sámi working group on elements within the film that are inspired by their visit to the Sámi homelands. More information about the collaboration will be shared later this year.
“For all of our films at Disney Animation, research is crucial to building fantastical yet relatable and believable worlds. At the genesis of creating Frozen 2, our filmmaking team embarked on a research trip to Iceland, Norway and Finland. We were deeply moved by so many of the places we visited and the people we met, including a visit with the Sámi,” said producer Peter Del Vecho.
In a joint statement, the presidents of the Sámi Parliaments and the Saami Council – Aili Keskitalo (Nor), Tuomas Aslak Juuso (Fin), Per-Olof Nutti (Se) and Åsa Larsson-Blind (Council), expressed their enthusiasm.
“We are deeply proud and grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Disney Animation. We are beyond excited that the film, Frozen 2, will be accessible to Sámi children in their own native tongue. It is also very gratifying to be able to share the news now as the UN celebrates the International Year of Indigenous Languages this year,” said the Sámi presidents.
Rick Dempsey, SVP Creative for Disney Character Voices International, and his team will oversee the casting and adaptation of Frozen 2 into the indigenous Northern Sámi language. Disney Animation and Disney Character Voices International most recently engaged with key partners in Tahiti, Hawai‘i and New Zealand to create indigenous Tahitian, Hawaiian and Māori language versions of Moana, respectively.
Walt Disney Animation Studios will begin casting for the Northern Sámi language version of Frozen 2 soon. The Sámi version is planned to be released simultaneously with the other Nordic versions of the movie, in December 2019.
ABOUT WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS:
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Located in Burbank, WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2013’s Academy Award®-winning Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time. Among the studio’s timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia.
More information:
https://www.disneyanimation.com
https://www.youtube.com/disneyanimation
https://www.twitter.com/disneyanimation
https://www.instagram.com/disneyanimation
https://www.facebook.com/disneyanimation
For Frozen 2 imagery, please visit: https://www.image.net/Frozen2
ABOUT THE SÁMI PARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL AND THE SAAMI COUNCIL:
The Sámi Parliaments are the independent and representative bodies elected by and representing the Sámi people living in Norway, Finland and Sweden. They act as institutions of cultural autonomy for the indigenous Sámi people and deal with all matters concerning the Sámi people.
The Sámi Parliamentary Council is a co-operated body for the Sámi Parliaments in Finland, Norway and Sweden and with permanent participants from the Russian Sámi. SPC works by the notion of the Sámi being one people, whose unity is not broken by national borders.
The Saami Council is a non-governmental organization in Finland, Russia, Norway and Sweden that has actively dealt with Sámi policy tasks since it was founded in 1956. Its primary aim is the promotion of Sámi rights and interests.
More information:
https://samediggi.no/Samedikki-birra2/About-the-Sami-Parliament
https://www.sametinget.se/lang/english
https://www.saamicouncil.net/en/about-saami-council
PRESS CONTACTS:
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Amy Astley
Amy.Astley@disney.com
Sámi Presidents
- President of the Sámi Parliament in Norway,
Aili Keskitalo, e-mail: keskitalo@samediggi.no, phone: +47 971 29 305 - Vice President of the Sámi Parliament in Finland,
Tuomas Aslak Juuso, e-mail: juuso@samediggi.fi, phone: +358 40 1871 331 - President of the Sámi Parliament in Sweden,
Per-Olof Nutti, e-mail: per-olof.nutti@sametinget.se, phone: +46 0980 780 27 - President of the Saami Council,
Åsa Larsson Blind, e-mail: asa@saamicouncil.net, phone: +46 70 254 33 56
For other inquires, contact Rune Fjellheim, general director of the Sámi Parliament of Norway and head of the working group established by the Sámi Parliamentary Council and The Saami Council, e-mail: rune.fjellheim@samediggi.no, phone: +47 910 09 320
