The story is set in London and New Zealand.
The main character/hero, Ian Bennet, is a long way from home, initially out of his depth with the locals, but makes good in the end. They are missing a carving of an ancestor's head, the head is in the museum where our hero works. They claim its non-presence in the tribal village is causing them continuous bad luck, from poor fishing to losing ever rugby match in the local league. His job promotion as assistant manager at the museum is on the line as he has to negotiate with the Maori, to whom the head belongs, and persuade them that the carving of the ancestral head is better off in the museum in London. The situation is not helped by his fiancée being his manager's daughter. Whilst he is away she is organising her wedding, something he wants as little to do with as possible. He starts having weird dreams.
In New Zealand he finds his stay extended due to a sudden death of one of the tribe. It is not until the wake is over that he can concentrate the business in hand. On the Maori side, despite their adamance in having the head back, they treat our hero with respect and he in turn "fills in" by replacing the school bus driver who had died and takes some classes at the village school.
Here he discovers that the school teacher was having much the same dreams as he and inevitably develops feelings for her. At the same time, the local policeman, who is trying to woo her by stopping her car, keeps reminding our hero that he is on a limited visa only and tells him how many days he has left.
At the numerous council meetings with the Maori, punctuated by calls back to London on his mobile (the only place he can get a decent reception is up a hill overlooking the village) he tells the Maori that they can only have their head back if they can keep it in a museum style environment. Our hero knows he is stalling, but nonetheless the Maori invest in a large portakabin to serve as the museum. Further niggles about having lighting and humidity and temperature control are met by the Maori investing in a power supply and the necessary equipment. When the work is completed, they even have an opening ceremony in the new museum building until they are called away to the main meeting house as one of their tribe is appearing on TV as a stand up comedian at that very moment.
Whilst everyone was watching the show in the meeting house a strong wind whips up and the ancestral tree, under which the museum has been placed, falls on the museum. The same tree also brings down the overhead electricity wires and in turn the museum goes up in flames. At this stage our hero makes his departure but not before the local teacher finding him out and telling him what she thinks of him.
Back in London he realises he cannot go ahead with the wedding nor can he put up being employed by his future father-in-law. He realises that his wishes are different to those from the museum. At the wedding ceremony, which takes place at the museum, at the moment when the vows are exchanged he states that he cannot marry his betrothed. She and her guests leave in disgust, leaving him on his own with the wedding buffet until one of the museum staff, who had not been invited to the wedding, joins him. He is shown the new display of exhibits that been arranged in his absence, to reflect a Pacific Islands theme. He looks at the head in its display position he notices some replicas on sale. He starts plotting...
As soon as possible our hero returns to New Zealand where he arrives during the night. He has with him the disputed head. The following day the tribal head is placed on its perch in the meeting house. At this point the contractors who had supplied them with the portakabin demanded their money. As the Maori do not have any cash on them what ensues is best described as a ruck using the head instead of a ball. The skirmish stops when the head splits open to reveal a hidden pouch that is full of diamonds. The tribe's bad luck has been reversed.
Back in London they notice that there has been a spate of sales of the replica heads. What they do not realise is that the real head has been substituted with one of the replicas.
I found the film very enjoyable, very much of the "Local Hero" ilk. What makes this film most pleasurable to watch is that there are no unnecessary sex scenes and what little "violence" there is is at an acceptable level and in keeping with the story.
The main character/hero, Ian Bennet, is a long way from home, initially out of his depth with the locals, but makes good in the end. They are missing a carving of an ancestor's head, the head is in the museum where our hero works. They claim its non-presence in the tribal village is causing them continuous bad luck, from poor fishing to losing ever rugby match in the local league. His job promotion as assistant manager at the museum is on the line as he has to negotiate with the Maori, to whom the head belongs, and persuade them that the carving of the ancestral head is better off in the museum in London. The situation is not helped by his fiancée being his manager's daughter. Whilst he is away she is organising her wedding, something he wants as little to do with as possible. He starts having weird dreams.
In New Zealand he finds his stay extended due to a sudden death of one of the tribe. It is not until the wake is over that he can concentrate the business in hand. On the Maori side, despite their adamance in having the head back, they treat our hero with respect and he in turn "fills in" by replacing the school bus driver who had died and takes some classes at the village school.
Here he discovers that the school teacher was having much the same dreams as he and inevitably develops feelings for her. At the same time, the local policeman, who is trying to woo her by stopping her car, keeps reminding our hero that he is on a limited visa only and tells him how many days he has left.
At the numerous council meetings with the Maori, punctuated by calls back to London on his mobile (the only place he can get a decent reception is up a hill overlooking the village) he tells the Maori that they can only have their head back if they can keep it in a museum style environment. Our hero knows he is stalling, but nonetheless the Maori invest in a large portakabin to serve as the museum. Further niggles about having lighting and humidity and temperature control are met by the Maori investing in a power supply and the necessary equipment. When the work is completed, they even have an opening ceremony in the new museum building until they are called away to the main meeting house as one of their tribe is appearing on TV as a stand up comedian at that very moment.
Whilst everyone was watching the show in the meeting house a strong wind whips up and the ancestral tree, under which the museum has been placed, falls on the museum. The same tree also brings down the overhead electricity wires and in turn the museum goes up in flames. At this stage our hero makes his departure but not before the local teacher finding him out and telling him what she thinks of him.
Back in London he realises he cannot go ahead with the wedding nor can he put up being employed by his future father-in-law. He realises that his wishes are different to those from the museum. At the wedding ceremony, which takes place at the museum, at the moment when the vows are exchanged he states that he cannot marry his betrothed. She and her guests leave in disgust, leaving him on his own with the wedding buffet until one of the museum staff, who had not been invited to the wedding, joins him. He is shown the new display of exhibits that been arranged in his absence, to reflect a Pacific Islands theme. He looks at the head in its display position he notices some replicas on sale. He starts plotting...
As soon as possible our hero returns to New Zealand where he arrives during the night. He has with him the disputed head. The following day the tribal head is placed on its perch in the meeting house. At this point the contractors who had supplied them with the portakabin demanded their money. As the Maori do not have any cash on them what ensues is best described as a ruck using the head instead of a ball. The skirmish stops when the head splits open to reveal a hidden pouch that is full of diamonds. The tribe's bad luck has been reversed.
Back in London they notice that there has been a spate of sales of the replica heads. What they do not realise is that the real head has been substituted with one of the replicas.
I found the film very enjoyable, very much of the "Local Hero" ilk. What makes this film most pleasurable to watch is that there are no unnecessary sex scenes and what little "violence" there is is at an acceptable level and in keeping with the story.