I've been trying to expand my horizons outside of my usual genre so I chose Tanna as an experiment and I'm glad I did. Unusual in that the cast are not professional actors but the actual tribe members that live on the island. They did an excellent job, better than some professionals I have seen. Story is simple; several tribes that inhabit the island have a custom of arranged marriages between tribes in order to keep the peace between them. One young woman and man from the same tribe are in love yet she is chosen to be the bride offering that year to another, warlike tribe. The young couple run off together to try to make a life and we see the trials they go through as well as the effect this has on all the tribes. I can't say much more than that but found out at the end this was based on a true story. Well worth watching for the story, the beautiful scenery and witnessing the workings of a much simpler and freer culture than mine here in the United States.

the poetry of image. the simplicity of story. the new version of Romeo and Juliet tragedy. the tradition, war and need of piece. spectacular for the wise, admirable manner to remind old truths. for the science to explore habits, places, vulnerabilities and the essence of life from a small community looking for save its fundamental values. a fragile, delicate, profound impressive story. about the life. about love. about fights and gods and rules and need to conquer the peace. a poem more than a film. touching in deep sense. because, in fact, it is a film for memory.

I was lucky enough to see this amazing movie in Vanuatu in March. I am frustrated that this movie is not widely available in the US and you can not buy the DVD here. This movie is beautiful. You are transported to another culture dealing with the universal issues of love, family and community norms. What is even more amazing is the actors are not trained actors but villagers. They do an excellent job.The movie is visually stunning. Shot in Vanuatu on location with an active volcano in the background adds to the emotion.Hope others in the US get the opportunity to see this.

Tanna is a small island in the South Pacific, part of the nation of Vanuatu. The traditional way of life is still prevalent there, so Western sensibilities have to be put to one side for this film featuring tribal dances, pig slaughtering and penis sheaths.Dain is a chieftain's grandson and Wawa granddaughter of a shaman. The pair are in love, but when a long-standing rivalry with a neighbouring tribe once more erupts into violence, Wawa's hand in marriage is promised to a warrior of that tribe as part of peace negotiations. Forbidden by their elders from being together, Wawa and Dain resolve to defy their families.So far, so Romeo and Juliet. Except that this is based on actual events that happened barely thirty years ago, making the film an account of a relatively recent way of life on the isolated island - unsurprisingly, as directors/producers/scriptwriters Martin Butler and Bentley Dean usually work on documentaries. As you would expect from a cast of non-professionals, the acting is of variable quality, but the cinematography - from the lush forest to the barren landscape of the island's volcano, lit only by occasional eruptions of lava - is stunning. And how often do you see a film from the South Pacific?