Bato Naluan: Nakamal blong Rapeghbo, Burbar, S-E Malakula, Vanuatu

The bato and the naluan are two initiation ceremonies that were once celebrated across much of the southern part of Malakula Island in Vanuatu. In the coastal village of Burbar, these ceremonies had not been practiced for nearly a century, but thanks to the completion of an extensive and meticulous indigenous cultural revival effort that began in the 1970s, the ceremonies were finally able to take place in January 2022.

The documentary, directed by anthropologist Jacopo Baron in collaboration with the video unit of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, takes us to Burbar during the most intense days of the ritual: those immediately preceding the closing ceremony. This gives us the chance to witness the final preparations and take part in the grand finale—the day when, amid songs, dances, sacrifices, and the unveiling of ritual images, the young initiates rejoin the community as men.