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Ngat is Dead: Studying Mortuary Traditions

Christian Suhr, Ton Otto

Ngat is Dead

About

What do anthropologists mean when they claim to study the cultural traditions of others by participating in them? This film follows the Dutch anthropologist Ton Otto, who has been adopted by a family on Baluan Island in Papua New Guinea. Due to the death of his adoptive father, he has to take part in mortuary ceremonies, whose form and content are passionately contested by different groups of relatives. 

Through prolonged negotiations, Ton learns how Baluan people perform and transform their traditions and, not least, what role he plays himself. The film is part of long-term field research, in which filmmaking has become integrated in the ongoing dialogue and exchange between the islanders and the anthropologist.



Reviews

“Straddling the permeable genres of ethnographic, participatory, and narrator-driven documentary, this one-hour DVD will be an extremely useful teaching resource. It presents anthropological insights prompted by filmmaking grounded in long-term familiarity and involvement with a community. It also demonstrates the benefits of an anthropologically trained film crew. ...As an ethnographic film that demonstrates the value and developing insights of long-term fieldwork, this is excellent.” — Mike Poltorak, University of Kent, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Volume 16, Issue 4, December 2010

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Credits

Ngat is Dead


SCREENINGS & AWARDS

13th Mostra Internacional do Filme Etnográfico, Brazil, 2008

IV Moscow International Visual Anthropology Festival, Russia, 2008

VISCULT 2008: The Festival of Visual Culture, Finland, 2008

SIEFF, Sardinia International Ethnographic Film Festival, Nuoro, Italy, 2008

XXII Pärnu International Film Festival, Estonia, 2008

Beeld voor Beeld, Amsterdam, 2008

Days of Ethnographic Film, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2008

Worldfilm: Tartu Festival of Visual Culture, Estonia, 2008

BILAN, Jean Rouch International Film Festival, Paris, 2008

The International Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec, Canada, 2008

XVI International Festival of Ethnological Film in Belgrade, Serbia, 2007

TIEFF, Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival, Taipei, Taiwan, 2007

NAFA, Nordic Anthropological Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway, 2007



Directed by

Christian Suhr 

Ton Otto 


Co-directed by

Steffen Dalsgaard


Research

Ton Otto


Camera and Editor

Christian Suhr


Sound

Steffen Dalsgaard


Translation

Ton Otto 

Steffen Dalsgaard 

Leoni Kanawi

Mela Popeu

Panou Selan 

Sakumai Yep


Sound Mix Facility 

Søren Bendz, Soundmill


Thanks to Ngat Selan's children

Panou, 

Alup, 

Asap, 

Ninou 

Ngi


Thanks for Participation

Sakumai Yep, Silikara Buai, Kalou Solok, Michael Soanin, Joseph Molealeng, Kireng Wari, Sokal Silikara, Paliau Yep and the people of Baluan


Thanks for Advice and Support 

Gary Kildea, Rane Willerslev, Mette Bahnsen, Anne Henderson, Rasmus Stampe Hjorth, Tony Lewis, Peter Crawford, Carsten Meinhardt and Århus Filmværksted


Music Performed by

Ngat Sibenin, Kireng Wari, Poli Papi, Pokut Buamon, Kuam Suelip, Aiwai Salkimut, Ngi Mweri, Ngat Pangkop, Popot Kialou, Yokowei Ngason, Ngi Mweri, Kaluwin Sauka and Seaside Stringband.





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