Venice Festival: forbidden love on South Pacific island

A film about forbidden love set on South Pacific island, ‘Tanna’ has had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. <br /><br /> The film tells the story of lovers Wawa and Dain. With arranged marriages firmly entrenched in tribal law, theirs is an impossible love, as Wawa is promised to a man from a rival tribe in an attempt to put an end to conflict between the warring groups.<br /><br /> The story is enacted by members of a local tribe, speaking in their native language and clad only in sheaths and grass skirts. The non-professional actors are natural performers informed by a culture in which storytelling plays a vital role. <br /><br /> “It wasn’t made with the idea of presenting a particular message as much as revealing a completely unique culture but in a way that is completely engaging and entertaining for a Western audience,” said film director Martin Butler at the Venice premiere. <br /><br /> Australian filmmakers Martin Butler and Bentley Dean lived for seven months on the island, which is part of the Vanu