Rurutu, land of the 'UMUAI

Documentary. 55 min. This film recounts a tradition which can only be found in Rurutu, Austral islands : 'UMUAI is a wedding celebrated by the whole community of the island. By its nature 'UMUAI is a deep proof of family love and aims to carry the genealogy on. When 'Umuai takes place, all sons and daughters are married by their respective parents on the same day. The parents have the task to organise everything and childrens do not have a say in that matter. A word of caution though, these are not forced marriages, the well respected tradition is the wedding organisation. Within the span of a week, the bride and groom are at the center of the daily celebration. It is not usual that they crawl under all the family and friends gifts. The whole community actively participates and everyone has a role to fill. Some take care of the ma'a (meal), others most of the time women buckle down to handcraft the decoration such as red braided mat (iripiti).

The strength of Rurutu lies in that common undertaking.

Directed by :  Teiva DRION & Virginie TETOOFA 

Produce by : ©Ahi Company

Broadcaster : France Ô