Let us persevere in what we have resolved before we forget
Ben Russell
(2013)
On the Pacific island of Tanna, the camera observes the cult surrounding the mysterious messiah John Frum. He prophesied a great natural disaster that would destroy Tanna, after which it would be joined with the neighbouring islands of Eromanga and Anatom to form a new island. Frum would then chase off the white colonists, re-establish old customs and share his riches.
Based on this prophecy, priests on Tanna perform all sorts of rituals in order to keep their own history alive. With little in the way of explanation, viewers are immersed in the island's lethargic way of life. At the same time Russell plays with the conventions of anthropological films. The title is a reference to Samuel Beckett's famous play Waiting for Godot – as does the text with which the film ends: 'What do we do now that we are happy?'