MARABE
Papua New Guinea, 1988, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Alan Harkness.
Marabe is a film from Papua-New? Guinea. It was made under the auspices of the national government, was helped by an Australian budgetary grant to Papua New Guinea. The music was composed and played by students of the National Art School at Port Moresby. Many indigenous workers contributed to the film.
It is a picture of changing life in the southern highlands of New Guinea, the lure of Port Moresby, the world of the rascals in Port Moresby - and the plea for a blending of tradition with the changing 20th century world. The film is excellently photographed, well paced and edited. The performances come through as authentic and sincere. The storyline is familiar - but the film is persuasive and an interesting contribution to an emerging cinema.
1. Interesting and enjoyable film? A picture of Papua-New? Guinea in the 1970s and 1980s? A portrait of the people, the changing patterns of culture, the encroachments of western lifestyles?
2. Technical qualities: the film as the work of Papua-New? Guinean filmmakers? The contribution of traditional narrative film-making? Location photography, the world of the southern highlands, beauty and starkness, the life of villages, the contrast with Port Moresby and its lifestyle? Editing and pace? The contribution of the musical score?
3. The focus on Marabe - the patriarch of the family? The impact of his wife's death, the long opening sequences of the funeral? His re-marriage, his children? His adult sons and their disputes? Their decisions to go elsewhere? Marabe and his position in the village, his authority, his pride in his authority - his anger at the boys playing with his badge? His remarriage, the tensions with his wife, his anger with her, beating her? Reconciliation? Land disputes? The death of his son, the return of the other? The judge's decision going against Marabe and his having to move? The hopes for the future - a new settlement?
4. The picture of Marabe's sons: Kerebe and Hawaii? Their life in the village, the lure of moving away? Their friends? Land disputes? Borrowing money? Kerebe and his decision to stay, looking for land, working the swamps, the clash with the owners, the violence and his being killed? His return for solemn burial?
5. The contrast with Hawaii - his decision to go to Port Moresby, getting the money to fly there, the audience sharing his journey to the capital and his experience of its lifestyle? The visual impact of Port Moresby, the terrain, the climate, the streets, the city, modern buildings, the shanty areas? Hawaii and his wandering the town, his hunger, the encounter with Mark and the theft of the beg, being chased by people and the police, gaining some money? His buying comic strips - and his looking at the material in the newsagents? His finding friends and relatives, staying with then? The search for work and its not being available? Meeting up with Mark, being introduced to beer, drinking and the hangover? The men out of work and their playing cards? The involvement in the fight, imprisonment, disillusionment? His decision
to return home, the discovery of his brother's death, the reconciliation with the family?
6. The people in Port Moresby: Mark and his thieving, lounging, friendship with Hawaii? The men out of work, search for jobs, the possibilities of jobs, qualifications, technical skills? The husband and wife and family and their generosity to relatives and friends, giving away money? The sense of community and kinship?
7. Life in the highland village - the ritual of the burial ceremony, at the opening, the village meetings, the administration of justice, official justice, local justice? Farms, land, property disputes?
8. The old traditions and ways, rituals, customs, values? The change of style in the hundred years of colonialisation - western ways, clothes, manners? Advertisements for Coca Cola etc.? Planes? Shops? The buildings in Port Moresby, offices, mechanical and technical jobs? The repercussions for those in the village? Marriage customs, relationships between men and women, the status of wives and children?
9. The quality of life in Papua-New? Guinea, the bonds of kinship, generosity?
10. The impact of the film visuals, the use of Pidgin English, music - a people reflecting on their experience and portraying it for themselves and for world audiences?
