Get this: prejudice is everywhere. I know, hardly a newsflash, right? Welcome to the world of Myths and Maidens, a film that will only be seen by the people who don’t need to see it, which is a sad thought, indeed.
For centuries, white men have plundered the South Pacific. Their legacy is hardly limited to conquest and enduring imbalance; there are obvious and yet very subtle ways in which white people have exploited Polynesian culture and one is in artistic rendition.
This documentary could have been titled “Paul Gauguin Ruins Everything,” which would have been spot on. We’ve seen Gauguin’s take on Pacific Islanders: invariably female, docile, light-skinned, often bare-breasted, and inviting, welcoming. Every painting, every postcard, every piece of art seems like an open invitation for white men to come plunder because Polynesia welcomes it. “Here, let me wear flowers and show you my breasts; you will appreciate them as I’m almost as white as you.”
Reality is … different, to say the least. And this stereotype of the
inviting islander may play well for tourism, but does very little empowering for a culture that has often been abused by white hands. I only fear with this documentary that the people who need to hear this message most – i.e. the people who come to plunder Polynesia- are just about the least likely to see it.
Myths and Maidens is a noble, yet very limited, examination. While this is a POV everyone who visits the South Pacific ought to be aware of, the documentary is fairly one-note and feels long, even at 56 minutes. This could well have been an article in the New York Times, and achieved the same effect with a far larger audience.
Polynesia was unknown to white man
Suddenly represented by jerks like Gauguin
The women, exciting
The culture, inviting
I bet that shit plays well at Cannes
Not Rated, 56 Minutes
Director: Lisa Taouma
Writer: Prejudice
Genre: Hey there, hot brown lady.
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Pacific Rim feminists
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The kind of guy who buys postcards of hula girls cuz … hula girls
