Kawelka, The: Ongka’s Big Moka

Synopsis: In Papua New Guinea status is earned by giving things away rather than acquiring them. The moka is a ceremony in which people, somethimes the whole tribe, give gifts to members of other tribes. The larger the gift, the greater the victory over the recipient. Follows Ongka, the most prominent man of the Kawelka tribe north of Mount Hagen, in his efforts to organise a large-scale moka exchange with a neighbouring group. He tries to gather together a gift of six hundred pigs, some cows, a motorcycle and £5500 in cash. The film concentrates on how he can and cannot use his status to organise others for political gift-giving. *RAI
Series: Disappearing World, Series
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Film; Video; Film. 16mm. sd. col. 52 min. Videocassette. VHS. col. 52 min.
Technical information: Black-and-white / Sound
Year of production: 1974
Availability: Hire (film - RAI)
Sale (video - RAI, Granada); 1995 hire: £33.00 (+VAT +p&p) film 2005 sale: £50.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Notes: Broadcast on ITV 12/74, 14/8/91.
Documentation: For earlier stages of Ongka’s career see Andrew Strathern’s book ‘The Rope of Moka’ (Cambridge University Press, 1971).
Subjects: Anthropology
Keywords: Kawelka; Papua New Guinea; social life and customs

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