1989 · 16 min · Documentary
This documentary about ritual clowning on the Polynesian island of Rotuma in the South Pacific was produced to accompany Vilsoni Hereniko's dissertation titled 'Polynesian Clowns and Satirical Comedies, ' later revised and published under the title 'Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma.' A social institution that is now very rarely practiced, ritual clowning at traditional Rotuman weddings may appear to the uninitiated to be for the sole purposes of entertainment. This effort to record and document a unique Rotuman tradition, however, suggests that ritual clowning deploys humor for social, cultural, political, and religious purposes that are central to understanding Rotuman history and culture. For a better understanding of the role of ritual clowning and humor on Rotuma, consult not just 'Woven Gods' but Hereniko's feature film 'The Land Has Eyes.
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