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Clip description
One of the important men in the village is speaking very loudly and angrily about how people in the village are not ready for any celebration and that Waiko and his family are in too much of a hurry. Waiko responds and explains the situation. He speaks about the importance of their grandparents’ songs, dances and dramas being preserved.
Curator’s notes
In order to have ‘big man’ status in much of PNG, the men must be good orators and the clip demonstrates this very clearly. Oratory is one of the ways of decision-making, along with storytelling and discussion. It is a deeply rooted tradition in PNG and an important element of social and political life in the village. An enormous amount of time, attention and energy is given at public exchange events.
According to co-producer and sound recordist Andrew Pike, one of the difficulties of filming in PNG is that quiet, reflective interviews can be difficult to obtain because the men ‘want to stand up, stand back and declaim’. For another example of the importance of oratory in PNG, see Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson’s Joe Leahy’s Neighbours (1988).
