Educational Media Reviews Online

An Island Calling attempts to explain the socially “complicated” murder of John Scott and his partner, Greg Scrivener, in Fiji in the first year of this century. The documentary film, though, is no simple investigation into the crime, but employs archival images and film, family photographs and remembrances, as well as the input from friends, neighbors, and advocates involved with the victims and their murderer. Importantly, An Island Calling contains and explains much of the contentious social history of the island nation of Fiji, and frames the crime into that socio-historic fabric, highlighting the effects of colonialism, class structures and strictures, religion, and anti-gay sentiment.

The documentary’s title, spoken by the narrator, Owen Scott, one of the victims’ brothers, refers to his desire to return to Fiji after an extended absence, of the “call” of the island itself and also of the necessity of following up on the investigation of John’s death. In returning and in the production of this film, Owen makes it clear that the history of the island is linked and parallel to his family’s history, and he begins the narrative’s journey with a trip to his great-grandfather’s tomb. Significantly, this ancestor was a driving force in the institution and enforcement of Christianity onto the island.

Further, Owen speaks of the colonial period in general and his family in particular. It is, honestly, a bit unclear why so much time is spent in reminiscences of the Scott clan. While they were surely significant to the culture of the island leading up to the time of the murders, it is surely colonialism in general that set the stage for the culture that surrounds the murder of his brother, not the particular family itself.

Regardless, the voice-over narration that introduces the indigenous Fijian culture, the introduction of Indian servitude during the colonial period, and the several political coups after the island achieved its independence from Britain in 1970 are fascinating. The narrative describes the strife developed by the growing social, economic, and administrative power of the Indian immigrants over the indigenous Fijian groups; and it is shown how the British/European/Fijian versus ethnic Indian schema became something of a powder keg. Additionally, the growing fundamentalism of the island’s form of Methodism is described and, later, shown by many of the locals as they discuss the crime.

Set against this brief history, the double murder is made to find a context. That is, this was no random murder, but one born out of social grudges as well as religious fundamentalism against gay individuals. Truly, the film is exceptional in its development of context and social reasoning—the events leading up to the crime, as it were.

Further interviews with the family of the perpetrator, with John and Greg’s friends and neighbors, and with local social activists not only hold a mirror up to the still-extant racism, classism, and homophobia, but also tethers the narrative to the current situation in the country and generally universal feelings throughout the world, making sense (if that’s the word) of a senseless crime.

The Fijians—both of European and indigenous extraction—provide surprising, though honest, insight. While they all make suppositions in trying to answer why the crime was committed, their honest biases show through and comment on the ultimate revelations of the documentary. For instance, the mother of the murderer, Apete Kaisau, tries—Impossibly—to explain that her son was truly religious and guided by God, apparently forgetting that he is a murderer. European friends of John Scott point out that Fijian culture condemns overt displays of homosexual companionship, saying, in effect, “It was a terrible thing, but, well, they should have known better,” in a generally universal tendency toward blaming the victim. Kaisau might have been “an associate” of the gay couple, people hint strangely and darkly.

Other commentators highlight that John, who had left Fiji as a youth, returned to secure his family’s property during an early coup, but that it was no longer his (read: European colonialists) place…. His subsequent role as Director-General of the Fiji Red Cross, wherein he was the “White Angel” that aided an Indian-heavy hostaged government similarly is theorized to have upset the precarious power balance. (He was threatened with execution by the revolutionaries, should he “show his white face.”) Indeed, it was at this time that Kaisau himself returned to Fiji from a promising sports career in New Zealand, clearly displaying extreme intolerance and anger, if not outright mental illness.

Is it left over colonial resentment, anger by the native Fijians at Europeans betraying their historic bond for the Indians, homophobia, xenophobia that led to the crime? The film raises these questions well and provides audiences with as much general information as seems to be available to try to suss out the answer for themselves.

Additionally, police corruption is described, telling how the police commissioner contaminated the crime scene (accused of running prematurely to the media and biasing the populace, he, ironically, contaminated both the physical evidence and, possibly, the minds of the island’s residents) and immediately spoke about “white powder” and hinted at abhorrent pornography and sexual practices involved to a, one suspects, somewhat receptive media audience. You know how they gays are, they seemed to agree. Incidentally, there was no evidence of pornography or perverted sex. The white powder was baking soda.

Later in the film, local gay activists and a female Indian advocate are interviewed. Significantly, these individuals are at least partially marginalized given their mere existence against the described social fabric of the nation; and one wonders if this marginalization has provided them better insight into details of and motives for the crime. (“Hey, John Scott,” one reports that gay-bashers would yell after them after the murders; and the threatening intent is clear.) In any case, they provide something of a moral compass where none is readily apparent in this honest film.

Descriptions of the trial and of legal wrangling are given; and the ambivalent outcome of the trial is telling: not guilty by reason of insanity. But, the film begs, was it insanity, was it hatred, was it brought about by the power structure on the island, was it a result of growing poverty and concomitant reactionary religious views? Truly An Island Calling provides audiences with as many facts as are feasible to relate and, in providing a solid if brief background of the island, can let viewers decide for themselves the motivating factors in the crime, if they can ever definitely discerned at all.

The history and interviews are fascinating and telling, though the narration and narrative direction provided by Owen Scott is, ultimately, a bit odd. If somehow restructured, the film would be essential to library collections; as it is, though, Owen’s narration derails, perhaps, a bit of the impact of the documentary. His visitation of a once-grand European hotel in the coup-ridden, military city and his bemused notation that it is so strange to find pup tents here is indicative of a sense that saturates much of the film. This is really a film about intolerance, crime, motivation, and ramification. In the narration and interviews by natives, Europeans, transplants, friends, neighbors, family, et al., it becomes somewhat clear that no “side” can ever fully realize exactly what the other “side” is thinking, and, thus, why they do what they do. This is a disquieting notion, but perhaps it encapsulates the message of the film better than any other less honest statements could.

Overall, the beautifully shot, edited, and scored An Island Calling is an important film and is recommended for collections and individuals interested in crime, gay and lesbian studies, Melanesian Studies, and post-colonialism.

Awards

• Best Documentary and Achievement in Cinematography Awards, 2008 Quantas Film and Television Awards
• South Pacific Pictures Award for Achievement in Film, 2008 Women in Film and Television Awards