Today after seeing 2 films in the cinema and in the Academy, I was invited to a documentary in Glasgow Uni! The screening was in an anthropologists class and a thoughtful student brought wine as "moka" means a gift, sharing and exchange. So after my first glass, I was prepared to see a film on a subject completely unknown to me. The film was made by Andrew Strathern in 1974 and explores the life of a New Guinean tribe, an honoured member Ongka and his opinion on traditional and western exchange. For these people the most important thing is taking care of their pigs because later on they are going to make them as gifts to another tribe (The Moka Ritual) and would expect a bigger return. That's the way their society works. In Ongka's view, a man can survive without pigs, because his people eat mainly sweet potatoes and barely need clothes. But a man on that island needs pigs for everything else- to get merried, make a name, keep the tribe together and hold the piece in it. Ongka considers himself a man of honour, therefore he is about to prepare a grand "Moka" no matter what it takes. As the story develops, we get to know that 10 years ago his tribe has received 400 pigs, but for his Gift he decides to give away 600 to add an extra prestige and interest. Looking at that scantly clothed man one can hardly assume that he actually has money in an Australian bank.
The whole time I was thinking how the filmaker and his crew got access to film such important events in that tribe (funerals, attacks). At some point the enemy tribe was running with axes in their hands and I got the feeling that someone was about to throw one at the camera! It was so real...
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