Papua-N. Guinea
pp. 47-49 · Read in the full issue
No Sex or Bottle Fights
The 10 Tambus Of
Film Censorship
The Papua-New Guinea Adminis tration is, as far as we know, the ynly one in the Pacific which censors novies for its native population.
Opinion is divided about this and tome people see it as excessive paternalism, and point out that the tame things are being cut out of Urns now as were cut out 30 years igo when the NG natives were far ess sophisticated.
Others feel that it is a good thing lot to “put ideas in the natives’ leads”.
Probably the most interesting w pect of the whole thing is that he films P-NG natives are allowed o see are those most favoured by he natives of the Eastern Pacific :ho have an open choice in the riatter. The favourites are noisy Vestems and anything of the fast 'loving cops-and-robbers variety )here the goodies always win out ver the baddies in the end.
CHE wide-eyed native audience in the small Port Moresby theatre cheered and shouted, as a band f cowboys thundered across the :reen. Close behind came a horde f whooping Indians.
Each time a horseman plunged •om his saddle, whether pursued or ursuer, the cheering grew to a 'enzy.
Five minutes later the film was ffieduled to show a settler being )alped.
Still later, there was a sequence I a waggon-train massacre, in hich women and children were illed.
These scenes, however, got no irther than the cutting room of le Papua-New Guinea Administra on’s chief censor, the man re jonsible for all films shown to the erritory’s native population.
Plenty of Action Wanted A senior Administration officer “Natives like to see enty of fast and furious action in teir films. Within reason, we cater i these tastes. But while we don’t ‘lieve in being too severe, we don’t ‘lieve in putting ideas in their Jads, either.”
Although legislation forbids Papua ew Guinea natives to see un snsored films, it leaves what should J “cut” to the censor’s discretion, he Department of Native Affairs, Dwever, has drawn up a list of itegories it considers taboo:
• Scenes of strife between natives and Europeans. • Scenes showing excessive brutality. • Assaults with knives or bottles. • Repulsive drunkenness. • Assaults on women by men; women fighting. • Children or disabled people be ing ill-treated. • Scenes likely to bring the laws of Papua-New Guinea into con tempt. • Sordidness. • Cruelty to animals. • Suggestive gestures of a sexual nature.
“All but a small proportion of the Territory’s indigenous population are still very primitive in their out
look,” said the Chief Censor. Mr.
T. Aitcheson, “and many would not understand that a film is an enter tainment medium only.
“They adopt many of the things they have seen on the screen, just as European children ape their favourite cowboy star, or play-act ‘cops and robbers.’ ”
Native Affairs officer, Mr. Ken Chester, who censors all films shown at Port Moresby’s Badili “native theatre”, believes prolonged action in any form is what the native theatre-goer wants to see.
“Westerns are a great favourite, closely followed by crime and war films,” he said.
“Singing cowboys, and anything to do with horses are also very popular. (Over)
“Science fiction, however, is not wanted. The native cannot grasp ust what it’s supposed to be all ►bout.”
“I would not pass anything that howed continuous, brutal violence r wanton destruction,” said Mr.
Jhester.
“A gunfight between police and ank robbers, or cowboys and ndians, for instance, would be Iright, but not a brawl in a back lley with broken bottles and base all bats.
“A bloodless fist-fight would pass, lit I would cut a one-sided fight i which a man is shown being lercilessly beaten by others.
It's OK To Bathe “While an ordinary embrace be sreen a man and a woman, or a lot of a woman in a bathing istume would be suitable, pro bative sex, such as a belly dancer ■ lurid love scenes, would be ex uded.”
On films with racial themes, Mr. tiester pointed to South Africa’s cent racial riots and segregation cidents in America as the sort thing banned.
“But recently we passed a film on au Mau terrorism in Kenya and is went very well,” he said.
“And,” he added, “while the theme is black against white, the audi ice applauded the parts showing itive terrorists being rounded up id gaoled.”
Mr. Chester said this apparent ►preciation of European justice nning out was strongly evident long the majority of natives who to pictures.
“Almost all films have the dom ant theme of the hero triumphing er the villain. I don’t believe the ►tives get tired of seeing this. In ct, they seem to cheer loudest in wboy films when it is the Indians 10 are getting killed.”
Criticism has, from time to time, en levelled against this censorship licy on the grounds that it is criminatory. Most European eatres in the Territory show films isored in Australia, and not for tives, so they therefore exclude tives from the performances, Fhe manager of Port Moresby’s pua Theatre, Mr. A. Carter, said 3y could not continually show the ’t of films seen in native theatres. ‘Our European patrons would soon : sick of singing cowboys and rilling Indians,” he said.—AAP uter.