Synopsis
- Through kava, a drink made from the root of a pepperplant, friendships are formed, visitors welcomed, and chiefly authority sanctioned.
This film is a journey through Oceania with its stunning cultural and natural beauty and richness. It gives insight into kava rituals as they are carried out today in Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. The extended 90-minute version also look into the history of kava use as a phytopharmaceutical product in Germany.
Today, kava is increasingly bought, sold and consumed within non-ritual contexts. It is extracted, packaged, and produced for global markets. Hence, kava is much more than just a cultural relic; it is becoming a symbol of identity for Oceania as a whole. For Pacific Islanders, kava will always remain: The drink of the Gods.
Crew
- Regie: Thorolf Lipp
- Kamera: Thorolf Lipp
- Schnitt: Thorolf Lipp
- Produktion: www.arcadia-film.de
Festivals
- (1999) International Film & TV Festival Shanghai, Shanghai
- (2000) Ethnofilmfest Berlin, Berlin
