Encanto: The Art History & Anthropology Behind the Movie

Concept work for Mirabel's costume by Costume Design Lead Neysa Bové (sister of Lorelay Bové).

Góngora—whose research interests include the ethnography of social movements and drug controversies—points to Mirabel’s clothing and her mochila as primary examples of the Encanto team’s dedication to respect and care.

Film still featuring Mirabel with her Mochila.

There are many different indigenous groups who make the mochila—and many different styles within some of these groups. Mirabel’s is most similar to a type of mochila made by the Wayúu but it is not a direct copy—and this was intentional.

Bové shares that the team, in response to feedback from Góngora and Zamora, decided to have Mirabel use an old, repurposed mochila—as many farmers in the coffee region would have done at that time. To underscore this distinction between appropriation and history-based repurposing, they also had Mirabel personalize the bag with her own decorative embroidery.

Famed Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez wearing a traditional sombrero vueltiao. These hats can be spotted throughout the background of Encanto.

Similar care was applied to the depiction of the sombrero vueltiao (or turned hat) in the film. Though now seen as a symbol of Colombia, the sombrero—like the mochila—has indigenous roots.

Bové explains that, “[At first] we were sort of making our own designs,” but their consultants quickly voiced concerns. This was an important issue because so many replicas have been made and sold by individuals with no connection to the Zanou, the indigenous group associated with the hat.

To address the problem head-on, Bové explains that a member of the Trust “talked directly with the Zanou people… she translated information, gave us photos of the hats—exactly how they wanted to be represented in the film.”

Góngora adds “It’s really the hat of the cowboys. [From] when the indigenous groups turned into farmers and cowboys." He concludes that the establishment of this sombrero as culturally significant also coincided with the emergence of distinctly Colombian music such as vallenato and cumbia—another big part of this film.

Film still featuring the town.

As we pivot from cultural items to art objects that inspired this film, Góngora explains that “it all started with the geography where the house is located, which is in the coffee region of Colombia."

Reference image of Barichara by Byron Howard.

An example of a coffee region town that inspired the team is pictured above. Góngora says that, “In pre-Hispanic times, that was where the Quimbaya lived and that's where you would find a lot of ceramics and iconography and a lot of the gold."

Today, some of this gold is in Colombia's Museo del Oro. Unfortunately, over the course of centuries of colonization and exploitation, many pre-Columbian artifacts have been stolen or destroyed.

Colombia, Calima (Yotoco) culture, Headdress Ornament, 1st–7th century. Gold. 8 1/2 × 11 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (21.6 × 29.2 × 3.2 cm).

Goldwork—from body ornaments to instruments and sculptures—was a big part of many pre-Columbian cultures in this region of South America. The precious metal was abundant here and, because of its color and shine, it was often associated with the sun. 

This headdress, which would have been worn by Calima elites, demonstrates the manner in which many golden objects were designed to heighten the metal's similarity to the sun. The pendants that dangle from every other ray on the headdress would have shimmered exquisitely, reflecting sunshine and perhaps even firelight, with the wearer's every movement.

Detail of an Encanto promotional poster featuring Pepa.

Like the high relief face depicted in the center of the golden headdress (and like many pre-Columbian golden figures and figurines), Pepa wears large golden earrings. Their sunshine shape seems to underscore the historical significance of the sun and its connection to gold. And, as she is the Madrigal who controls the weather, this choice of jewelry only seems fitting.

Panama Culture, Greater Coclé. Bell, A.D. 750–950. Gold alloy. 1 5/8 x 3/4 x 3/4 in. (4.1 x 1.9 x 1.9 cm). 

Bové explains that, although no specific pieces of jewelry or gold items were recreated within the film, the creative team deliberately incorporated the “shape language of that pre-Columbian gold.”

Detail of an Encanto promotional poster featuring Pepa.

You can see this in the sound waves that double as decorative detail on the clothing worn by Dolores. This symbology is particularly fitting for the Madrigal with super-human hearing abilities.

Reference photo taken in Bogota by Jared Bush.

Typically, extended and multiple trips are a big part of the early stages of any Disney animation. The pandemic made this mostly impossible. This photo, which inspired the Madrigal house, was taken on one of the few trips Encanto creatives were able to take. 
 

Concept art of Mirabel in the Madrigal house by Lorelay Bové.

The influence of the previous photo is clear in this concept art created by Bové. Eagle-eyed readers may also spot evidence of the house's magical qualities in the background. 

A film still that features Mirabel standing in front of the magical home of the Madrigals.

Magical realism is a quintessential aspect of literature across Latin America but it is particularly important to Colombia, as the home of Gabriel García Márquez. Bové says, with nods of support from Camille Andre, that the team had “a big discussion at the beginning of the film about magical realism. She says they asked themselves “What does it mean cinematography-wise? You know, what does it mean visually?”

Encanto teaser poster

Góngora notes the use of yellow butterflies in Márquez’s seminal novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967). For Márquez, the butterflies represented love and hope—particularly in the face of violence. Góngora says the book established yellow butterflies as the “iconography of magical realism in Colombia.” 

It is not difficult to notice the butterflies that seem to populate every corner of the film. What you might not have noticed is that the yellow butterflies do not appear until late in the film—when the family is in need of hope.

Film still of Mirabel carrying a basket filled with party items in the colors of the Colombian flag. 

I ask the team early on in our discussion why the film's departure from typical Hollywood depictions of Colombia (Narcos and so on) matters. While translating for myself and Góngora, Bove observes “It's interesting because even Andres is saying that, from an interior point of view of being from Colombia, it has helped them to even see themselves differently.”

Art Director of Environments Camille Andre recalls a middle-aged man who came up to the mic during a recent post-screening Q&A, “He just started crying and saying that he doesn't have words. He just said, ‘you got it, you have no idea how you got this.’” She says he returned later, when he was less emotional, to explain: “He was like, ‘I'm seeing my own family and my own abuela in that movie.’ How, for him, that felt like he was being seen.”

D.S. Maduro Jr., child soldiers in Panama, 1899 during the Guerra de los Mil Días. Published by the French magazine, L'llustration.

The Guerra de los Mil Días (or Thousand Days' War) was a Colombian civil war that ultimately led to the creation of Panama and the death of an estimated 100,000 individuals. For context, around the same number of U.S. service members died in WW1.

The war took place between 1899 and 1902. While the Encanto team was intentionally vague about the context around the violent inciting incident of the story—other aspects of the film such as technology and clothing seem to indicate that it was set around that time.

Regardless, Góngora makes it clear that this film is about the complicated process of healing from violence. The effects of war are long-lasting and widespread and this story is meant to help individuals, families and children in particular, talk about that. “This was just a simple, deep way—a meaningful way—to tell the story.”

He says: “It's been really important to see the effects of social trauma [depicted] in this film. People have cried over this” and it’s not just because they are seeing themselves. They are seeing the depth of the story.