It was while visiting the doctor that Benoit Moehau Tarahu came up with his idea: to make a documentary about circumcision in Tahiti. He wanted to follow a traditional ceremony and tell what this rite means today.
The images should speak for themselves. Benoit Moehau Tarahu, the director and producer, wanted to show everything and hide nothing. We see two young men going to the river; it’s The big day for them is their circumcision. The two boys begin by taking a bath, under the watchful eye of the tahua tehe, who encourages them to immerse themselves completely in the cold water to slow down the flow of blood and anesthetize them. Then he shows them his instruments: the knife, the lemon, the piece of wood. He then calls the first boy to sit down. He inserts the piece of wood under his penis« foreskin, throws some river water on it and plants his knife in a lemon to disinfect it. The camera approaches and the tahua cuts the skin of the foreskin. The cut is clean; the image does not tremble; the young man stretches and exhales forcefully, probably to control his pain. The man pours urine over the wound, wraps it with a piece of cloth and then pours Chinese oil on it. The boy can get up and put on a scarf. There you have it, he has become a man! The images are impressive, but Benoit Moehau Tarahu absolutely wanted to share them: »It didn’t make sense to have only words; we needed actions.” It was while visiting the doctor that he had the idea to get involved in the Circumcision in French Polynesia. He saw brochures about this practice and wondered if the traditional ritual still existed. Tehe Peritome has become a veritable investigation into this practice: its meaning, its practice…
The difficulty was finding boys willing to film this intimate and important moment in their lives. Everything was done thanks to the family and close friends. «It's also a matter of trust, but people are proud to get their circumcision and eventually, some accepted.» Already broadcast on Polynésie La 1ère, Benoit Moehau Tarahu He assures that the protagonists of his film were successful in school! « They were not mocked; on the contrary, their friends were impressed because they followed the traditional ritual, which is an act of courage!» Beyond the ritual shown in all its details, one can also see circumcision in a doctor, but also better understand the meaning of this ritual that all Polynesian boys follow. Cultural experts are also interviewed and explain that the sex of the ti’i is circumcised; it is a practice that dates back to very ancient times and has nothing to do with religion. It is a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and those who have not undergone it are often mocked: « taioro » or even « skin in front ». Young people are therefore happy to have been « tāpū », as they say, the Tahitian word for « cut off». It is also learned that the cut is specific to French Polynesia: « It is an incision that is not circumcision but a supercision. »", explains a doctor. The skin of the foreskin is not removed; it is simply pushed aside. tehe technique, The longitudinal cut, which seems to be a Polynesian exclusive, is explained.
Benoit Moehau Tarahu is Happy to see his documentary selected at FIFO Even if he is not competing, it should bring him some visibility and an audience. «It brought back memories for some… Others were a bit afraid to watch, afraid of getting hurt seeing these images! I’m curious to see how the audience at FIFO will react.» Benoit Moehau Tarahu’s next film will be «just as impressive» as this one, he promises.
Article written by Lucie Rabreaud
French 
English