Tanna 2016
Directed by
Bentley Dean
Made by
Lightyear Entertainment
Tanna Plot Summary
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On the island of Tanna, communities guided by Kastom uphold arranged marriages as a cornerstone of social order. The people of Kastom Road face sporadic conflicts with the Imedin tribe, while two adherents of Kastom, Dain and Wawa, maintain a secret love affair. Wawa’s young sister Selin is impudent, stealing a penis sheath and fleeing into the wilderness, punished for entering a forbidden zone where the Imedin once massacred their people. To teach Selin respect, her grandfather — the tribe’s shaman — takes her to the spiritual site of Yahul and the volcanoes. At the sacred ground, the Imedin attack the shaman, clubbing him and leaving him mortally wounded. Selin escapes and returns to her people, who fear that his impending death will leave them vulnerable. The Imedin are summoned to the village to broker peace. They trade pigs, which the shaman’s murderers club to death just as they had the shaman, and Wawa is promised for marriage into the Imedin tribe.
Despite the arranged marriage, Wawa and Dain press on with their affair. The elders learn of this and plead with Wawa to give up the relationship. The elder women empathize with Wawa’s burden, acknowledging the strain of an arranged marriage, but insist that respecting one’s elders and the law will lead to happiness. Her peers remind her that she is not the only one whose fate is at stake; if the Imedin lose Wawa as a promised bride, revenge could follow. Wawa reveals that she has already had sex with Dain, meaning she will be unacceptable to the Imedin anyway. Disgraced, Dain is exiled from the village. The elders continue to urge Wawa to accept her arranged marriage, pointing to Prince Philip as an example that arranged marriages can be intertwined with love.
Wawa then joins Dain in the wilderness, hiding on the side of the volcano while both their people and the Imedin search for them. The couple consumes poison mushrooms, and their people come to bury them. In the end, the elders reach a stark conclusion: the recognition of love-based marriage must be added to Kastom to keep their culture alive.
Tanna Timeline
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Kastom marriage rules and a secret romance begins
On the island of Tanna, Kastom dictates arranged marriages that shape the community's fate. Tensions with the rival Imedin tribe flare as the two groups clash over tradition and power. Within this world, Dain and Wawa begin a secret love affair that challenges the expected path.
Selin steals the penis sheath and defies the forbidden zone
Selin, Wawa's younger sister, brazenly steals a penis sheath and flees into the wilderness. She is firmly rebuked for entering the forbidden zone where the Imedin have massacred their people before. The act sets in motion a broader lesson about respect and obedience to Kastom.
Shaman takes Selin to Yahul and the volcanoes
Selin's grandfather, the tribe's shaman, takes her to the sacred site of Yahul and the surrounding volcanoes to teach her respect. The journey links ritual space with the community's laws and the natural world. This moment foreshadows the dangers looming from rival forces.
Imedin attack mortally wounds the shaman
While Selin is away with the shaman, the Imedin launch a brutal attack on the shaman and club him, leaving him mortally wounded. The village reels from the shock, seeing the elder leadership wounded and the balance of power unsettled. The attack heightens fears that the Imedin will strike again.
Selin escapes and villagers fear vulnerability
Selin escapes back to her people after the assault, bringing news of the shaman's peril. The shaman is carried back to the village, and everyone fears that his death will leave them vulnerable to attack. The community scrambles to defend themselves while mourning their leader.
Imedin peace talks and the pigs trade; Wawa promised to marry
The Imedin are summoned to the village to make peace, and pigs are traded as part of the accord. The murderers who killed the shaman club pigs to death in the same ritual, reinforcing the cycle of violence. In this fragile moment, Wawa is promised in marriage to a member of the Imedin.
Dain and Wawa continue their affair despite the arranged marriage
Despite the arranged marriage looming over them, Dain and Wawa persist in their secret relationship. The community is torn between tradition and the undeniable pull of their love. The situation becomes a test of loyalty, rules, and personal desire.
Elders plead; women sympathize; peers warn of revenge
Elders urge Wawa to accept the arranged marriage, emphasizing the consequences of crossing Kastom. Elder women express sympathy for the strain on Wawa, while peers argue that her decision affects the whole community. The risk of Imedin revenge adds urgency to preserving traditional order.
Wawa reveals she had sex with Dain; Dain is exiled
Wawa confesses that she has already had sex with Dain, which makes her unacceptable to the Imedin regardless. The confession marks a turning point as the village condemns the couple and exiles Dain from the community. The exiling underscores the power of tradition over personal happiness.
Wawa and Dain flee to the wilderness and hide by the volcano
Wawa and Dain flee together, seeking safety in the wilderness and hiding on the slope of the volcano. Their separation from the village marks the collapse of the formal social order in favor of a doomed, personal devotion. The search by both sides intensifies as the lovers cling to each other in danger.
The lovers eat poison mushrooms
In a desperate act, the lovers eat poison mushrooms, choosing escape through death rather than life under prohibitive rules. The mushrooms symbolize both the despair of their situation and the ultimate price of breaking Kastom. Their act closes a tragic arc between love and tradition.
The community buries the lovers and reframes tradition
Their people bury them, marking the end of the immediate conflict yet leaving the community to confront its own laws. The elders decide that love marriage must be recognized within Kastom to keep their culture alive. This conclusion suggests a new compromise between tradition and personal happiness.
A new Kastom: recognition of love marriage
The elders conclude that recognizing love marriage is necessary for the survival of Kastom, balancing respect for elders with the needs of individuals. The tragedy of Wawa and Dain catalyzes a cultural shift toward inclusivity in marriage norms. The community's commitment to adaptation marks the final evolution of their customs.
Tanna Characters
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Dain
Dain is a Kastom follower whose secret love for Wawa drives him to challenge social duties. He shows courage and stubborn resolve, choosing love even when it costs him his standing in the village. His exile becomes a catalyst for broader questions about tradition and personal freedom.
Wawa
Wawa is a follower of Kastom whose relationship with Dain tests the limits of arranged marriage. She contends with elders’ expectations and the possibility of binding to the Imedin, revealing that personal choice clashes with communal norms. Her decisions propel the narrative toward a redefinition of Kastom.
Selin
Selin is Wawa's impudent younger sister who steals a penis sheath and ventures into the forbidden zone. Her curiosity sparks conflict and highlights youth resistance to rigid rules. Her actions accelerate the tensions between the Kastom and the Imedin.
Grandfather / Shaman
The grandfather, a shaman, is the tribe's spiritual authority and a key mediator. He becomes a victim of violence, and his injury triggers a crisis in the village’s social fabric. His role anchors the community’s rituals and responses to conflict.
Tanna Settings
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Time period
The events occur in a living traditional society where Kastom law shapes marriage, kinship, and ritual. Elders and shamans arbitrate disputes while violence and diplomacy unfold through ceremonial exchanges. The setting emphasizes a culture rooted in ancestral customs rather than a specific historical year.
Location
Tanna Island, Yahul
The film unfolds on Tanna Island, a rugged Melanesian setting where kastom governs social life. The central village sits near Yahul, a sacred site and volcanic backdrop that frames ritual and conflict. The island's geography and clan loyalties drive the tensions between Kastom and the Imedin.
Tanna Themes
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Forbidden Love
Wawa and Dain's secret affair challenges the strict arrange marriage norms of Kastom. Their bond tests loyalty to family and tribe, provoking elders to balance compassion with social duty. The couple's pursuit of love drives conflict and ultimately prompts a cultural compromise. The narrative uses their romance to explore how tradition confronts personal desire.
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Tradition vs Change
The film examines how long-standing Kastom rules adapt in the face of personal choice and love. Elders defend ancestral law, while Wawa and Dain embody a shift toward recognizing love as a potential addition to Kastom. The impending integration of love marriage tests communal cohesion and future stability. The resolution proposes a slower evolution of norms while maintaining respect for elders.
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Authority and Law
The elders wield Kastom authority to sanction marriage, exile, and intertribal negotiations. The murder of the shaman triggers a moral reckoning that shapes inter-tribal dynamics with the Imedin. Rituals, exchanges, and communal decisions reveal how law enforces order while creating space for change. The story positions tradition as a living system that can adapt without erasing its roots.
Tanna Spoiler-Free Summary
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On a secluded island in the South Pacific, life follows the rhythm of ancient customs known as Kastom, where community harmony is upheld through tightly‑woven traditions such as arranged marriages. The island’s volcanic landscape, wind‑whipped shores, and close‑knit villages create a world that feels both timeless and intimate, a place where every decision reverberates through generations. The atmosphere is a delicate balance of natural beauty and cultural weight, inviting viewers into a society that values collective duty above individual desire while still hinting at the longing that bubbles beneath the surface.
Within this tightly regulated world, Wawa emerges as a spirited young woman whose curiosity and independent heart set her apart. She carries the expectations of her family and the community, yet she feels an inner pull toward a different kind of connection. Across the village line, Dain, the grandson of the chief, embodies the responsibilities of leadership and the quiet strength expected of his lineage. Their secret bond ignites a passionate, forbidden romance that glimmers against the backdrop of a culture that demands conformity.
As tensions between neighboring tribes threaten to erupt, the island faces a pivotal moment that could reshape its future. The elders speak of peace and the necessity of honoring ancient agreements, while the younger generation wrestles with the pull of love versus the call of duty. Against this simmering conflict, Wawa and Dain must navigate the fragile space between personal yearning and the collective hopes of their people, setting the stage for a story that explores the cost of tradition and the possibility of change.
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