Malekula (1975.1.1 - 15)
odd: label: General
content: Local Numbers: HSFA 1975.1.1 - 15
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Müller, Kal, 1939-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Kal Muller films and photographs of Vanuatu (New Hebrides)
label: See more items in
content: Kal Muller films and photographs of Vanuatu (New Hebrides) / Series 1: Malekula films
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Film reel (color silent; 1,289 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1970-1974
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Footage shot in the Lendombwey region of south central during 1974 among the Nambas. Footage includes: peregrinations along trail leading to the ceremonial ground (bunsar); shots of carved phallic statues along the trail; panning of the ceremonial ground showing both large standing slit gong (ambulgai) and smaller gongs with decorations indicating preparations for ceremonial activity. Shots of ceremonial action at the bunsar which includes: arrival of young women holding specially wrapped bunches of nargai leaves and their perambulations around the periphery of ceremonial ground; a dance sequence by the women; a grieving woman with facial paint; arrival of men in full red-black-and white regalia at ceremonial ground; male dance action around the central slit gong; close up shots of elder male dancer conspicuously regailed; yams being unloaded from a large platform by male participants and placed before funerary effigies; shots of men dancing with the yams and then rearranging them in discrete piles (possibly for redistribution); a sequence of ritual drama during which the temes nevimbur ("marionettes", funerary effigies) and rhambarambs (funerary statues) appear from behind a "puppet stage" next to the bunsar; ceremonial offerings of yams before mortuary effigies with male elder ritually cutting the tips off yams with the tibia bone of a dead relative; sacrifice of a tusker in the ceremonial ground; interesting shot of two male participants encircled by the cord tethers of tusker pigs symbolizing their mutual dependency and obligations.