I. You. We. Them.
No getting around that in human interaction. One way or another, a cultural and historical combination of customs, traditions, folkways, mores and laws will accrue that predispose members of a community to either embrace or eschew one or another set of behaviors. One or another set of punishments and rewards.
And whether philosophers are ever able to establish [in the end] which behaviors reasonable men and women are obligated to embrace or eschew, we all have to come up with our own preferences.
On the other hand, these interactions can unfold rather differently when a distinction is made between a postmodern, industrial state and “tribal communities” [the few remaining] in our postmodern, industrial world. In the former, individual options are considerably more, shall we say, eclectic. While, in the latter, everything still more or less revolves around a proper place for everyone and everyone in his or her proper place. A clearly tribal narrative.
Now, traditionally, when it comes to marriage, it is the tribal chief’s prerogative to arrange them on Tanna. Both within the tribe and between the tribes. And for centuries. And, so, if a modern day Romeo and Juliet decide instead that love shall conquer all, a “conflicting good” will arise.
Tragically in this case.
What ought to be done here you might ask. What sort of “pact” between the “old ways” and the “new ways” will facilitate the least dysfunctional path into the future. Also, what do we have to learn from them, what do they have to learn from us?
This is clearly a patriarchal society. Is that "natural?’ In other words, as some insist, rooted more in genes than in memes?
Based on a true story.
IMDb
[b]The only language spoken in the film is Nauvhal.
The picture the Shaman (Albi Nangia) shows to Wawa to explain arranged marriage is a real picture taken when Nangia and other Tannese met Prince Philip in Buckingham Palace in 2007.[/b]
wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanna_(film
trailer: youtu.be/HVpiY06oLZc
TANNA [2015]
Directed by: Martin Butler, Bentley Dean
[b]Title card: Since the beginning of time, the chiefs have arranged marriage along the Kastom Roads, but two lovers chose to walk a different path…
…
Wawa: I’ve missed you. You’ve been away too long.
Dain: You’re all grown up now. A beautiful butterfly.
[Dain plays her a song]
Wawa: You catch a lot of butterflies like that?
…
Wawa: What did you see?
Selin: I saw you playing with the chief’s grandson.
Wawa: Don’t say anything to mum or dad. They’ll get angry.
Selin: Do you want me to lie for you?
…
Father: Selin, what are you doing running into forbidden ground? The Imedin have killed our people here. Never come here again. The warriors are everywhere.
…
Woman [to Wawa]: Soon the chiefs will arrange your marriage to another tribe. You’ll sit with me to learn about being a good wife and a good mother.
Mother: You’re a woman now.
…
Grandfather [to Selin]: See that bay? That’s where Captain Cook landed. All across the island people have left the old ways. They’ve become lost. Our tribes are the last keepers of Kastom. We have to hold it tight to survive…Yahul has been here longer than any of us. She is the source of life, love and Kastom. When you look into Her heart, you will understand. Don’t be afraid of Her.[/b]
Yahul is an active volcano. But that’s not what assaults him.
Chief: Listen to the song. It’s telling us forgiveness is the only way to bring the Kastom Roads together. You want the tribe to survive? The song of peace will bring our shaman back. I’d like you to listen to the words again. “Wisdom comes through suffering, killing only brings sorrow. One side struggles for power, the other takes revenge. Divided children of Tanna, join together in peace.” Go back to our beginnings, hear the wisdom of the ancestors and live once more in harmony.
There is how each one of them react to that; and there is how each one of us will react to it.
[b]Chief: I loved your father as you did. Now we only have each other. We have each other.
Dain: I want revenge.
Chief: If you want to be a good chief one day, you must move beyond revenge.
…
Wawa: Dain, what’s wrong?
Dain: The Imedin slit my father’s throat. My grandfather is telling me to forget that. I can’t stop thinking about what I saw. They speared my mother. When I found her in the garden, she was still alive. I picked her up and held her. She looked up at me and tried to say something, but the spear had gone through her chest. I’ll never forgive them. I want my revenge.
Wawa: Dain, I couldn’t bear the thought of that happening to my father and mother. But we can’t keep doing terrible things to each other. We need to live without fear. Would you want our kids to live under this threat?
Dain: Our kids?[/b]
Cue the irony.
[b]Chief: Mikum, it’s time for our tribes to resume exchanging brides. Lingai’s eldest daughter, Wawa, has just become a woman. Take her as a bride.
Mikum: I accept your offer of the bride. Her husband will be my son Kapan Cook. Bring her in two days and we’ll give you a bride from our tribe.
[Dain storms away enraged]
…
Mother: Wawa, listen, you are getting married.
Wawa: I want to choose who I marry.
Mother: This is not about you, it’s about all of us. Do you understand?[/b]
I…you…we…them.
[b]Grandmother: Where do these ideas come from? If you follow your heart, the Imedin will take revenge. It will be bad for all of us…Wawa, we understand you. We’ve all experienced what you’re feeling. My marriage was arranged, like everyone’s was. I respected my parents and I’ve been here a long time. I’ve never had any regrets. If you disobey us, your life will be miserable.
…
Grandmother: Look at me, Wawa. Agree.
Wawa: I can’t go to the Imedin. I slept with Dain and they won’t take me now.
…
Chief: I can’t believe your stupidity! Dain! What were you thinking? Who do you think you are? What gave you the right? I promised Wawa to the Imedin and you deliberately broke the agreement. Very well. You were the one who was going to take my place one day. But you’ve dishonoured us all. You must leave. Go to Yahul. You’re not welcome here anymore. Now leave.
…
Shaman: I know you don’t accept the chief’s decision. But I want to tell you how important it is that you do. Arranged marriage is at the heart of Kastom. Without these alliances, we could not survive. Here, I want to show you something.
[he holds out a magazine and turns to a photograph]
Shaman: You know Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip? Their marriage was arranged too.
Wawa: Did they love each other?
Shaman: They respected their elders’ decision. It’s true. Look…their love gave them children. His name is Charlie.
Wawa: But how do you know they really loved each other?
Shaman [holding out a photograph]: Here. Remember when I went to their house and I met Philip? I saw with my own eyes he loved her.
…
Tribal chief [coming upon Wawa and Dain]: Good morning. You are very welcome, but I’d like to know why you are here.
Wawa: We’re in love, but our chiefs won’t allow us to be together. We wanted to ask if we might live here.
Tribal chief: Sorry, I’m the chief of this village. I’m really sorry. I’d like to help but… I’d have to seek permission from your chiefs to avoid any trouble.
Wawa: We’ll go then.
Tribal chief: Wait, you’ve cooked a lot of food. Eat before you leave. Listen… there could be another way. There’s a Christian village around the bay. They have their service today. They welcome new people and they’re not strict about Kastom law.
…
Mikum: Chief Charlie, you have spoken. Now it’s my turn. We’ll kill Dain and get Wawa. Now go. All of you, get out!
…
Dain: We could live in the forest.
Wawa: That’s a hard life. Living with the Christians might be easier.
…
Christian tribal woman: You were led by sin to live in the wild. We will clothe you. Our leader will show you the light.
Christian tribal chief: I had a vision you were coming. Come live and pray with us. We’ll tell your families to come and witness your union before God.
Dain: Telling our families is a problem. They’ll never allow us to be together. Is there another way?
Christian tribal chief: Our God always listens to our prayers. I promise you’ll be safe.
Dain: We are thankful for your generosity, but I want to talk about it with Wawa.
Christian tribal chief: You need to join us for God to do His work.
…
Dain: These people freak me out.
Wawa: Me too. Let’s try the forest.
…
Wawa I miss Selin. I wonder what she’s doing now.
Dain: Why are you thinking about Selin?
Wawa: She’s my sister. I miss her. You miss your grandfather, don’t you?
Dain: He banished me. That part of my life is over.
…
Father: Dain, the Imedin are out to kill you.
Dain: I know that. Go back and tell them we’re dead. We’ll live together in the forest.
Father: You can’t hide from the Imedin forever. They will hunt you down. They will kill my daughter if she stays with you.
Wawa: I’m not leaving Dain.
Father: If you don’t go to the Imedin, there’ll be war. No one will be safe.
…
Shaman: The Imedin are out there and it will be dark soon. We’ll sleep here and tomorrow we’ll take Wawa to the Imedin.
Dain: Your father is right. You have to go with them.
Shaman: Dain, we can ask your grandfather to take you back.
Dain: No. The Imedin won’t let me live, wherever I am.
[he turns to Wawa]
Dain: To live, you have to go with them.
Wawa: I’m not leaving you.
…
Father [helping to carry Wawa’s body, shouting to the tribe]: We found Dain and Wawa. They are dead. We’re bringing them home.
…
Chief [to the entire tribe]: My heart is heavy. Our precious seedlings have been cut down. We’ve always fought to keep Kastom strong. The colonial powers - we resisted. The Christians - we resisted. The lure of money - we resisted that also. We are the last keepers of Kastom and we are few. The young people here will carry our future. We must listen to them to keep Kastom strong. We have to find a way to make love marriage part of Kastom. No more deaths.
…
Title card: Since the suicides of 1987 the tribes of Tanna have accepted love marriage as part of their Kastom. [/b]