THE TROBRIAND ISLANDERS

RA58 Col. Silent speed with soundtrack. 67 mins.
Director and Anthropologist: Harry Powell

During his fieldwork in the region of Omarakana, H.A. Powell filmed various sequences from which The Trobriand Islanders is constructed. In spite of the technical handicaps uiadler which he was operating ‑ shooting with a single, fixed ­focus lens, l6mm camera, without a tripod ‑ the film is nonetheless useful as a teaching aid. The commentary is very full, again in line with the ethnographic rather than the filmic interest of this account of Trobriand life.

After a general introduction, four topics are dealt with: gardening and its associated magic; mortuary rites; the preparation and sailing of an overseas fleet for a kula. expedition, and the harvest and milamala festival. The kula section is of historical interest as it documents the preparations for the first overseas kula expeditions made by the Kiriwinans following the disruptions caused by the Second World War. As a visual complement to the writings of Malinowski and of Powell him­self, this film is very useful.

B. Malinowski, 1922. Argonauts of the Western Pacific. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.

--- 1935. Coral Gardens and Their Magic. Allen and Unwin, London.

H.A. Powell, 1960. 'Competitive Leadership in Trobriand Political Organisation'. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol.90.

--- 1969. 'Territory, Hierarchy and Kinship in Kirivinal. Man, Vol.4, No.4, pp 580‑604. 1976. Review article on BBC television programme, The Trobriand Experiment. RAIN, 13, PP‑3‑6.

M. Watts and R. Whitburn, 1979. Papua New Guinea: The Trobriand Islanders. Educational pack in the Land and People Series intended for 11-13 year old children (RA171‑111 project). Basil Blackwell, Oxford.