PNG Film Screenings | Sydney | from the National Film and Sound Archive
A series of archival films from Papua New Guinea, screened in collaboration with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
As the Art Gallery of New South Wales hosts the Oceanic Arts Forum 2019, it will host a free screening of a series of archival films from Papua New Guinea, screened in collaboration with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
The black heart of New Guinea (dir: Edward Albert Briggs, 1925, 30 min, 35mm-to-digital, B&W, silent) Introduction and live narration by Helen Dennett and Joyce Robertson Based on field work done by E A Briggs, a University of Sydney zoologist who walked through the western Torricelli mountains in 1925. The cultures filmed were those of the Gnau and Au people of the Torricelli mountains in today’s Sandaun province (former west Sepik province). Talkabout, the Australian territories. Baining fire dance (prod: Jack S Allan, 1963, 3 min, 16mm-to-digital, B&W) Introduction by Natalie Wilson Includes scenes of PNG women from the Gazelle Peninsula in northeast New Britain preparing yam, taro, banana and pigs for a feast and men performing a traditional night fire dance. Bugla yunggu: The great Chimbu pig festival (dir: Gary Kildea, 1972, 50 min, 16mm-to-digital, Colour) Introduction by Melinda Robertson Filmed in January 1972 at Mintima Village near Kundiawa in the Chimbu district of Papua New Guinea.The Naregu people are celebrating the Chimbu pig festival. Footage includes preparation of ceremonial dress, festival dance and aspects of village life. Note: This film contains scenes of customary animal slaughter which may be confronting for some viewers. Stolat (dir: Martin Maden, Bike Johnstone and Pengau Nengo, 1985, 21 min, 16mm-to-digital, Colour) Video introduction by Martin Maden A film about trying to make a film in Paris when you don’t speak French and you don’t know anybody. The film was undertaken by three Papua New Guinea nationals, graduates of the Skul Bilong Wokim Piksa, PNG’s national film school. The men were invited to attend an Ateliers Varan direct cinema workshop in Paris. The documentary was made during this visit.
