Colonists for a Day 1993
Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Film Australia
Directed by Alec Morgan
VHS, color and b&, 55 min.
High School - Adult
Anthropology, History
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Charles Burkart, Head, Audiovisual Library, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WVIt would surprise many to think of the former British colony of Australia as a colonial power, but Papua, New Guinea was an Australian colonial protectorate from 1906 to 1975. Before World War II, New Guinea was largely ignored by the Australian Government. With the emerging post war strategic importance of New Guinea and a United Nations mandate, Australia sent colonial officers (KIAPS) into the interior of the country to unite the tribes, impose a British system of law, and promote western economic development.
Told with a combination of interviews and documentary film footage, Colonists for a Day accurately depicts the changing viewpoints of the Australian public toward New Guineans. Initially called "Fuzzy Wuzzies" and depicted as savage innocents in early documentary films, the increasing sophistication of the "natives" is reflected in the documentary clips from the sixties and seventies.
One of the more interesting aspects of this film is the giving of indigenous people equal time with former colonial administrators in interviews. Initially, natives viewed whites as wandering spirits who only wanted their land. The tribes desired trade goods and metal tools more than European laws and customs. The results were cultural conflicts between the colonial administration and the indigenous people.
Colonists for a Day is a finely edited and interesting film. Sound and picture quality are top drawer. There is a seamless juxtaposition of older black and white archival film and recent color film . My only objection to the film is the brief, uncredited use of an American World War II feature film clip with the Chinese American actor Richard Loo shown as a Japanese pilot. I personally dislike the use of uncredited feature film's clips as documentaries.
New Guinea has always been of interest to anthropologists. This documentary would enhance other documentaries about New Guinea like First Contact and Advertising Missionaries. College level anthropology instructors should find this a welcome addition to their library collections. However, I would think that the subject matter of Colonists for a Day would make it slightly less valuable to high schools and public libraries. Highly Recommended.