Since the End of World War II, the People of Tanna, a remote island in the south Pacific in the archipelago of Vanuatu, idolize an American prophet. His name is John Frum. (Supposed picture of John)
The islanders believe he is an American pilot that returned to the United States after the war, and will come back to Tanna with riches from the US that they call “the cargo”. They pray to an American flag, awaiting his return. One man, Isaac the Last One, chief of the “Cargo Cult”, claims he is Frum’s Son. He has formed an army of GI’s to celebrate the return of the prophet John Frum.
“…they [cargo cults] do provide a fascinating contemporary model for the way religions spring up from almost nothing. In particular, they suggest four lessons about the origin of religions generally.” as Richard Dawkins stated in The God Delusion, the documentary shows us the evolution of a religion.
The cult is still active today. The followers believe that John Frum will come back on a February 15 (the year of his return is not known), a date which is observed as “John Frum Day” in Vanuatu.
Director/writer: Richard Martin-Jordan. Broadcast 2007, also known as Dieu est Américain.
This is a trailer.
