SYNOPSIS BACKGROUND Tanna is set in the South Pacific where Wawa, a young People first arrived on Tanna in Vanuatu girl from one of the last traditional tribes, falls in about 3,000 years ago when the Lapita love with her chief’s grandson, Dain. When an inter- sailed from the Bismarck archipelago tribal war escalates, Wawa is unknowingly betrothed in Papua New Guinea to colonise as part of a peace deal. The young lovers run away, the islands. They brought along pigs, but are pursued by enemy warriors intent on killing chickens, pottery and a host of crops that Torres Is. them. They must choose between their hearts and are still the mainstay on Tanna today. the future of the tribe, while the villagers must The English Captain James Cook was wrestle with preserving their traditional culture and the first European to visit Tanna in adapting it to the increasing outside demands for 1774, followed by missionaries in the individual freedom. Tanna is based on a true story 19th century. In the mid 20th century, a and performed by the people of Yakel in Vanuatu. powerful local movement rejecting the VANUATU colonial presence emerged, advocating a return to Kastom and abandonment Port Vila Efaté of western clothes, money and schools. Though the leaders were arrested, exiled, and imprisoned, the movement swept Yakel the island and still retains respect to this day. G Today, Yakel is one of a number of R E villages in Tanna’s central mountain A New T CORAL Caledonia chain that have held on to their fully B (Fr.) A SEA traditional Kastom lifestyle, maintaining R R its belief system and social structure I E R despite contact with the modern world. R E Theirs is a deliberate choice to protect E F and nurture the old ways. AUSTRALIA Brisbane DIRECTORS’ NOTE GLOSSARY The Yakel tribe of Tanna island, Vanuatu, still Tanna: An island of 30,000 people in the hunt with bows and arrows and make their south of the Vanuatu’s archipelago, which clothes and houses entirely from materials became independent from Britain and gathered in the surrounding jungle. Their days France in 1980. begin with the rising sun and end with a kava Kastom: The traditional cosmology of ceremony at sunset. It’s a life that has all but Vanuatu, a system of laws, beliefs, songs, disappeared in modern times, yet people here dances and patriarchal social structures. are proud of their culture – ‘Kastom’ – and want to share it with the rest of the world. Kastom Roads: The metaphorical roads that link Tanna’s Kastom groups together, For seven months we lived together, exchanging which can be closed by war and opened food, stories, ceremonies, laughter, pain and by peace, allowing the exchange of goods adventures. Bentley’s children played with and people to resume. theirs, learning their language and way of life. Burying the Club: A formal ceremony One day the men sung a deeply moving song to end conflict between tribal groups. about two lovers who dared defy the ancient A peace-making chief calls the disputing laws of arranged marriage, some 20 years parties, in front of a witness chief, to earlier. They said the young lovers’ story agree on terms and exchange pigs, kava changed the course of Kastom on the island. and brides to seal the peace. Tanna is a cinematic translation of that song – Yahul: The Yakel name for the active which is at its heart a story of the universally volcano that dominates the southern transformative power of love. part of Tanna. She is their Spirit Mother. Working so closely with the people of Yakel has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our creative lives. Together we have opened a rare window into a rapidly- vanishing world full of hope and dynamism. Peter Kowia , Martin Butler, Lingai Kowia, Bentley Dean, Caha Toata, JJ welcomed warmly by the men, all dressed plays the Chief of Yakel – Chief Charlie. in nambas (penis sheaths), and invited to The medicine man plays the Medicine AN INTERVIEW WITH drink kava. The next morning we played Man. Everyone agreed that Mungau Rolf De Heer’s Ten Canoes on a laptop to should play the leading man, Dain, THE FILMMAKERS demonstrate the type of film we might because he was the most handsome. make – a film based on their stories, with How did such an unusual film it would be great to find an excuse to stay But he was petrified of showing them as writers and actors. They had come to be made? longer, learn more, maybe make a film physical affection with a woman in never seen a feature film before. But what BENTLEY: Back in 2004 I found myself here one day. public – something that is strictly taboo. they wanted to know was: Can we start Collectively, we convinced him and by the on the lip of Tanna’s very active volcano MARTIN: In mid 2013 we had just finished tomorrow? end of the film he was quite comfortable discussing geopolitics with the leader of a landmark series on the Aboriginal During those first few days on Tanna, we the millenarian John Frum movement for history of Australia and were between lying on a beach having his nipples were taken to the other side of the island SBS’ international current affairs program, projects. Bentley told me he wanted squeezed by the ravishing Marie Wawa. where a big meeting was taking place Dateline. With deep concern Chief Isaac to live with his partner and two young between all the tribes from the area. A Marie, who plays Wawa was a one of a explained how he was beginning to doubt children in a very different culture before young couple were in love but she had kind but took a long time to find. Every whether the USA would fulfill the prophecy they started school and proposed we been promised to another tribe as part other girl we auditioned could barely look of returing to Tanna and questioned their make a feature film on Tanna. Given of an arranged marriage. We were Mungau in the eye – light years from the recent invasion of Iraq. “In World War 2, that neither of us had made drama fascinated. Passions flared and in the feisty teenager the film called for. But they stopped the Japanese here. They did before and we had no money I thought end it was agreed that each side should the instant Martin saw Marie, he knew good. But why are they in Iraq? I think it’s it a particularly ambitious plan, if not exchange kava and pigs and that the she was the one (Bentley could only see foolhardy. But we knew we had a couple for money.” On cue the volcano ejected couple could stay together and marry, blurred shapes at the time due to severe of strong advantages. Our two person lava and ash in an almighty eruption. viral conjunctivitis) – stunning, with an crew using equipment we owned, enabled as long as her tribe provided another Perhaps responding to my wide eyes Chief woman in the future. We were told after infectious laugh and great emotional Isaac reassured me: “Tanna is one special us to film for many months without huge expense and we had developed a that these disputes were not resolved depth in her eyes. island”. He’s right. Just 50km by 20km it so easily in the past. Star crossed lovers, successful way of filming with traditional The Peacemaking Tribe and Witness Tribe contains dense rainforest, black and white tribal disputes, challenge to the old sand beaches, brilliant coral and a stark people based on respect, patience and were drawn from neighbouring tribes personal rapport. We went to Tanna to ways – some powerful dramatic themes ash plain. But it also contains one of the were emerging. more or less in line with their traditional most diverse and unique set of belief test the waters. roles. Astonishingly, the men thought systems in the world. Among all the Pacific The head of Tanna’s Culture Centre, Jacob How did you do the casting? the enemy tribe, The Imedin, should be Islands Tanna is probably the strongest Kapere, suggested visiting the village There was a lot of life meeting art in the played by the tribe with whom Yakel were for following Kastom. I remember thinking of Yakel to discuss the idea. We were process of casting. The Chief of Yakel having a real-life bloody land dispute. They saw great potential: just as the pigs and exchange kava, what the men enemy tribes come together in the film, so would say, and what the women would too will they. Lingai went across the valley whisper in the background. Essential lines to ask. It didn’t go well. Their chief flatly were hit, but we always left room for the refused, calling Lingai a bastard – which spontaneous performances everyone is the worst possible thing you can say excelled at. Because we had discussed to a Tannese man as it implies he has the story together over many months, no right to his land. Lingai beat him up, everyone knew the emotional arc of and several other men when they tried to each scene and could move freely within ambush him. The film nearly ended before character as if it were happening for real. it began but all was eventually resolved We began filming rehearsals in March by a meeting where pigs and kava were 2014 to get ourselves and the actors used exchanged. They decided it would be to working with the camera.