The Bride Price - Vanuatu production crew of (l-r) cameraman Phil Johnson, producer Adrian Stevanon, groom Kersom Richard, director Rick Malao, father of the groom Colin Richard and researcher Vincintia Obed.
In Vanuatu, not even the 7.3 magnitude earthquake which struck Port Vila in December could get in the way of kastom.
Head of Factual at Great Southern TV (GSTV) Adrian Stevanon’s recent visit to Vanuatu to film a Pacific Regional Media Fund (PRMF) project has been a truly unique and eye-opening experience.
Of Samoan/Swiss descent, Adrian has over two decades of directing and producing documentaries behind him, but his current project, which has a working title of The Bride Price – Vanuatu showcases Vanuatu kastom and culture through the wedding process, in particular, kastom payments involved in the Bride Price ceremony.
“On the day of the quake (December 17, 2024), we had been planning to film a special kastom ceremony centred around the bride,” Adrian explains.
“We thought the ceremony might be postponed given the circumstances, but it was not – even an earthquake couldn’t get in the way of kastom.”
Adrian and the team have since woven the earthquake and the unique perspective it brings to the documentary narrative, he adds.
In July 2024, NZ On Air in collaboration with Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) announced funding for six selected projects, including Adrian’s project, with aims to create content for audiences across the Pacific and Aotearoa New Zealand.
During the past few months, Adrian and his crew have been in Vanuatu, shooting the documentary, due to be completed in April.
“We’ve captured some beautiful images and moments and have a really strong story to tell which is great.
“The families the documentary is centred around have been amazing, and have been generous with their time, allowing us to be a part of such a significant time in their lives.”
Adrian says aside from locating families willing to share their story with his crew, the destructive earthquake definitely threw a spanner in the works.
“It was a challenge to navigate and when the earthquake first hit, the communication networks went down soon after which meant we had no way to communicate with the team we were working with, or the people we were filming with.
“Our first concern was to find out if everyone was okay, which took some time.
“Once we knew everyone was okay, the next concern was our gear as we had left it at the hotel, which was really badly damaged by the earthquake.
“Luckily most of our gear survived which put us in a position to keep filming.”
It was then a question of priorities for Adrian and the crew.
“It was a question of do we help the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) team with news gathering and step away from the documentary?
“Do we give up on filming the documentary all together and try to get back to New Zealand?
“Where are we going to stay now that our hotel is wrecked, and can we even continue filming the documentary?”
However, Adrian and his crew managed to help VBTC shoot for international news, and continue filming for the documentary, even on the same day as the earthquake.
Documentary making is all about people and having the opportunity to meet some beautiful people and experience Vanuatu kastom and culture was a highlight of the project, he says.
“The other massive highlight has been collaborating with the wonderful team at VTBC, in particular Rick Malao and Vincentia Obed who are the team we are partnered with to make this documentary.
“It has been an amazing collaboration, and they have been so generous in sharing their wealth of experience and understanding kastom and culture.
“We’ve learnt so much from each other and I have so much respect for the work they do, with limited resources.”
Pacific story sovereignty is at the heart and centre of the PRMF, and Adrian says the VBTC contingent have driven the narrative.
“At every part of the process, their voice is the most important because it is their story about their kastom, culture and people.
“The idea for the documentary came from the team from VBTC – I bring my documentary making experience to the table, but supporting our Vanuatu team to bring to life a story they want to tell is the most important thing.”
This is a documentary that celebrates the beauty of Vanuatu’s kastom, culture and its people and Adrian says it is about honest storytelling that will create an awareness of the way of life in Vanuatu.
“Ultimately we are telling a love story, one of culture, kastom family, and young love itself – universal themes that everyone across the Pacific can relate to.”
Six PRMF projects will be rolled out during 2025. Keep an eye on the Pasifika TV website for more information.
