Tanna

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, 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.