This film, set in Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa, gives insight into Kava rituals as they are carried out today. But Kava is more than just a cultural relic, it is becoming a symbol of identity for many Pacific Islanders as for Oceania as a whole. Through Kava, a drink made from the root of a pepperplant, friendships are formed, visitors welcomed, and chiefly authority sanctioned. Today, Kava is increasingly bought, sold and consumed within non-ritual contexts. It is extracted, packaged, and produced for global markets. But for many Pacific Islanders, Kava will always remain: the drink of the Gods. |