Malekula (1975.1.1 - 1)
odd: label: General
content: Local Numbers: HSFA 1975.1.1 - 1
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 (35 minutes, color silent; 1,265 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 Malekula in 1970 among the Nambas. Documented are various ceremonial activities including one in a series of final funerary rituals known as Nemborai Nevimbur for a high-grade Namba man. This consists of a nightly dance ("nebinbin") performed by males among the banana-like nargai plants in the corner of a ceremonial ground. Dancers dressed in penis-wrappers held up by wide bark belts; shots of celebrants dancing on top of a large wooden plaque ("nebinbin") while holding onto stalks of nargai plants; some participants with guns slung over shoulders. Drummer playing slit gong within the ritual enclosure. Footage related to the funerary ritual includes close up shots of a life-size funerary effigy being put in place. Scenes from phases in a woman's grade-taking cermony known as Nimangi which shows women grooming each other and decorating themselves as they are sequestered in the bush; shots of initiated rubbing each other with coconut oil, applying facial paint, and receiving woven ritual hats ("nagante") which are emblement of the grade being taken; shots of ritual tooth extraction performed on women taking-grades followed by scenes of women dancing during another phase of the ceremony.