Tanna (film)
| Tanna | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Martin Butler Bentley Dean |
| Screenplay by | Martin Butler Bentley Dean John Collee |
| Produced by | Carolyn Johnson Bentley Dean Martin Butler |
| Starring | Marie Wawa Mungau Dain |
| Cinematography | Bentley Dean |
| Edited by | Tania Nehme |
| Music by | Antony Partos |
| Distributed by | Lightyear Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries | Australia Vanuatu |
| Language | Southwest Tanna |
| Box office | $69,961 |
Tanna is a 2015 Australian-Ni-Vanuatu drama film directed by Bentley Dean and Martin Butler. Set on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, the film dramatizes the true story of Wawa (Marie Wawa) and Dain (Mungau Dain), members of the Indigenous Kastom tribe, who defy their community’s tradition of arranged marriage by pursuing a forbidden romance, igniting tensions with the rival Imedin tribe. Notable as the first feature film shot entirely in Vanuatu, it features a cast of non-professional actors from the Yakel tribe, including Dain, who was cast for his status as the village’s "most handsome man." The dialogue is delivered in the local Nivhaal and Nafe languages.
Premiering at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, Tanna won the Audience Award Pietro Barzisa and earned Dean a prize for Best Cinematography. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards, marking Australia’s first-ever nomination in the category.