Trivia

Writer-producer-director Bill Bennett said of the genesis of this project: "I became intrigued by this place [the Trobriand Islands] at university and when I started to read more about it, the whole notion of sex and freedom within a 'primitive' culture fascinated me, but my reading confirmed my suspicions that it was more complex than was perceived, with strict social and moral codes," says Bennett. "I became fascinated by the role of women and their status and power in a matrilineal society and thought it would be an interesting place to set a love story about scientists in a conventional marriage being affected by the sexual politics of the place."

One important source material was the late 1920s academic text on the Trobriand Islands was 'The Sexual Lives of Savages' (1929, aka 'The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia') by one of the founders of modern anthropology, Bronislaw Malinowski, who is still studied in universities today. The book's full title is: "The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia. An Ethnographic Account of Courtship, Marriage, and Family Life Among the Natives of the Trobriand Islands, British New Guinea."

The result of the research and development phase of the film was the script for the film, a romance and anthropological adventure told from the point of view of Evelyn Spence (Maya Stange)'s recollections of her time in PNG (Papua New Guinea). Under the surface is a rich tapestry of themes including: sexual politics and the status of women in society; the role of educated women and how they're perceived by men; the notion of what constitutes a primitive versus a civilised society; the ethics and politics of anthropological study of a traditional culture; cultural versus commercial exploitation of a primitive culture; and the subjectivity of recollections of past events.

"This film is about the transient nature of society. Everybody and everything is in a state of flux and people have to move with change," said writer-producer Jennifer Bennett. "This is a story of a woman who moves from her head to her heart and finds her soul along the way. Underneath is an interesting exploration of cultural and commercial exploitation and ambition and the way it corrodes the soul. It's also about the mistakes you make as you mature, and I hope the film doesn't shy away from painting our characters as flawed people who are victims of their flaws. In the end, I believe the film says it's OK to make mistakes, you only grow as a person from the mistakes you make."

"I think of the film as an inquiry into the acquisition of all sorts of knowledge and the priority given to different forms of knowledge as a basis for social custom," said actress Maya Stange, who played Evelyn Spence in the film. "Setting it in the Trobriand Islands lets all the sociological issues play themselves out. It asks questions about honour and love and what I really like is the metamorphosis of Evelyn. I would like for people to see this film and to be touched by the magic of humanity and I would especially like for women to see this film and to be empowered by it. I hope people realise we are all flawed but capable of transformation."