South Pacific isle, old man eaten to join shark, native boy meets girl --??

[Aquapulse01]

 --  a film I saw as a kid (leaning closer to the early 80s) on WHT television -- early "cable/satellite TV" ... takes place on a South Pacific, about a young  island boy, whose mentor (an old man with white hair) -- gives himself or corpse to be eaten by a shark, in order to have his soul be part of the shark... boy falls in love with a girl (white girl with short blond hair -- i think) --  who may have been visiting the island.  The word or name, what sounds like "Manitou" (spelling?), comes up in the film -- or I could be mistaken.... friend mentioned to me once that he too was stumped by this -- and that the name "tiger shark" comes up -- something "shark" in the title.... he could be wrong... but those are my only clues to a blurry patchwork of a film.... it left me longing to understand -- what the heck it was!!!

[Andrew]

This was tickling my brain after you sent that email, and it just hit me that this could be "Mako:  The Jaws of Death."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074845/

[akiratubo]

Here is a full review of Mako: Jaws of Death.  It has a man learning to communicate with sharks when an old shaman type gives him a medallion.  This man develops a relationship with a girl later on.  I think she's blonde.

http://www.aycyas.com/jawsofdeath.htm

My guess is "She Gods of Shark Reef", though that has a white man falling for a native girl.  The girl's name is "Mahia", which could be your "m" word.

http://www.1000misspenthours.com/reviews/reviewsn-z/shegodsofsharkreef.htm

[Rev. Powell]

I've seen SHE GODS OF SHARK REEF recently, and nothing really matches up from that film other than the South Pacific setting.  It's also from the late 1950s. a much earler period than the OP remembers.  I'd give MAKO a shot first.

[Bargle5]

I think this might be the remake of "Tiko and the Shark" called "Beyond the Reef" AKA "Shark Boy of Bora Bora". One of the characters is named 'Manidu'.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082070/

[teocarlo]

Thank you team! But Bargles5 -- You've hit in right on the money!!!! tHANK YOU!!!!!!! After close to 3 decades -- I can rest in peace!!! Manidu!!! Now -- to find the video or dvd!

[teocarlo]

Andrew, CLOSE call on Mako -- though I do own that on super8mm! THAT was a wierd film -- esp. since the film was condensed to only 4 or 5 minutes!

By the way -- this IS an awesome site!! Thanks again!!!!! t.

[Bargle5]

You're welcome, Teocarlo!

[Andrew]

Andrew, CLOSE call on Mako -- though I do own that on super8mm! THAT was a wierd film -- esp. since the film was condensed to only 4 or 5 minutes!

By the way -- this IS an awesome site!! Thanks again!!!!! t.

We are fortunate to have a lot of people with various bits of weird movie knowledge, and some great detective skills.  Hats off to Bargle for this one. 

[Bargle5]

Thank you, Andrew.