Can one of 16mm film by Oskar Speck

Photographer Oskar Speck (1907 - 1993)

Date1930s

Object numberANMS0547[001]

NameFilm

MediumCellulose acetate reel of film

ClassificationsAudio visual material

Credit LineANMM Collection Nancy Jean Steele Bequest

Terms

DescriptionShows footage of cooking a sea turtle, traditional dancing and music as well as cock fighting. Sea turtle thrashing on its back in the sand. A person holding a sea turtle’s flippers while a second person wraps a cord around the seas turtle’s neck. Two people hold down the bound turtle and a third repeatedly hits it over the head with a blunt object (a tree branch?). Two men holding the turtle carcass while a third dismembers it with a hand held knife. The men are wearing loincloths. Two men cleaning out the turtle shell. Four men and a young child sitting at a fire next to the turtle shell (presumably cooking the turtle innards). Two dogs are walking around the camp. Beach scene with several traditional boats and rafts. About a dozen men on the beach. In the foreground is a bundle of reeds/branches tied together. Two men sitting at a fire on the beach, working a rope(?) together over the flames. Four men on the sand near a tree, two men on the left are sitting while the tow on the right stand and wind two bits of rope together. Several people walk through the frame. Large group of men, tying ornaments to frames. Standing on benches. Men sitting on benches and on the sand. They appear to be sorting grass/reeds into buckets. Camera pans to the right, showing the bench is in fact, the side of a concrete pool structure. More people are sitting on the right of the pool, in the shade, also appearing to be sorting plant matter. Group of men sitting on the side of a hill, with white stones and reeds between them. Close-up of a man working with the reeds/bark on the hill. March of drummers in the front, followed by flag bearers. Appear to be wearing long skirts and some wearing shirts. Traditional dress. Shot from other direction of march walking away from the camera. Man in traditional, ceremonial headdress with necklaces on his chest. Behind him men are holding flags and wearing light coloured shirts. Group of women moving was one in a circular direction, clockwise. They are also wearing long skirts and light colours shirts. They appear to be waving some pompom like streamers in their hands. At 5:30 two break away and dance in from of the group with the streamers in hand. Group keeps moving, following the breakaway’s lead clockwise. Man in long jacket and turban, jumping around in from of a group of women. Group moves behind him as he jumps around the grassed area. They appear to be moving to a particular rhythm/beat. Two people are playing drums on the ground. A crowd has gathered around, watching. Two men are holding a spit with rabbits (?) on it, above the drummer. Several men in ceremonial dress (grass skirts and shell necklaces) are dancing on the spot. Man at the centre waves a stick in front of himself. Marchers, in formation, marching on the spot while playing the drums. Behind the marchers are several rows of flag bearers. Cock fighting with spectators watching from behind a bamboo fence. Several people in the ring referring the fight. A man in a traditional grass skirt picks up for white chicken and walks away. Camera pans left and right across the arena. Close up of cock fighting, owner of the winning chicken picks it up and jumps jubilantly out of frame. Close up of third cock fight, between two white chickens. Cut to the spectators in the stands, watching the chicken fights. A teenage boy, wearing white, is sitting on the fence holding a chicken. Man in foreground, holding long chicken feathers, dancing on a dirt floor. Behind him a crowd dances too. Man in the white shirt comes back into frame and the man in the striped shirt leaves. A man in a long skirt, dances down a dirt road, with a crowd of onlookers following him in a semi-circle. They all appear to be wearing traditional costume and moving to the beat of a drum/song. A second man joins him in the centre of the circle. The circle seems to be predominately made up of women. Another shot of the circle, from a different angle. The women begin dancing in a slightly smaller circle. A man with a cone hat has joined the centre of the circle. The women have small drums under their right arms. A woman is asleep, on the ground, with four small drums beside her. She wears a shell bracelet on her wrist. Two men crouching, holding chickens attempting to fight each other. In the foreground there appears to be three small camp fires with pots and kettles on them. Overhead shot of people playing a game with small tokens. Two people dancing in front of a line of others in traditional dress. Same scene from a different angle (to the left). Two people dancing with ceremonial swords, with a line of women dancing and playing drums behind them. On a beach. As the camera pans to the right, a three storey building comes into view. It has a thatched roof and a walled garden. Close up of the dancers on the beach. Cut back to mid shot of dancers. Man playing a trumpet with beach in the background. Close up of trumpet player. 00:00 – 1:04 Blank/ SMPTE colour bars 01:05 Film begins. 01:15 Cord around sea turtles neck. 01:22 Hitting sea turtle on head. 01:30 Dismembering the sea turtle. 01:40 Two men cleaning out the turtle shell. 02:00 Four men and a young child sitting at a fire next to the turtle shell (presumably cooking the turtle innards). 02:12 Beach scene with several traditional boats and rafts. About a dozen men on the beach. 02:42 Two men sitting at a fire on the beach. 03:02 Four men on the sand near a tree. 03:20 Large group of men, tying ornaments to frames. Standing on benches. 03:30 Men sitting on benches and on the sand. 04:00 Group of men sitting on the side of a hill, with white stones and reeds between them. 04:13 Close-up of a man working with the reeds/bark on the hill. 04:27 March of drummers in the front, followed by flag bearers, coming toward the camera. Appear to be wearing long skirts and some wearing shirts. Traditional dress. 05:04 Shot from other direction of march walking away from the camera. 05:08 Man in traditional, ceremonial headdress with necklaces on his chest. 05:16 Group of women moving was one in a circular direction, clockwise. 05:40 Man in long jacket, jumping around in from of a group of women. 05:47 Group moves behind him as he jumps around the grassed area. 06:00 Two people are playing drums on the ground. 06:29 A crowd has gathered around, watching. Two men are holding a spit with rabbits (?), above the drummer. 06.39 Several men in ceremonial dress (grass skirts and shell necklaces) are dancing on the spot. 07:28 Marchers, in formation, marching on the spot while playing the drums. 07:41 Cock fighting. 08:11 Close up of cock fighting. 08:36 Close up of third cock fight, between two white chickens. 09:13 Cut to the spectators in the stands, watching the chicken fights. 09:40 A teenage boy, wearing white, is sitting on the fence holding a chicken. 09:56 Man in foreground, holding long chicken feathers, dancing on a dirt floor. 10:15 A man wearing a striped shirt takes over dancing for the camera. 10:23 Man in the white shirt comes back into frame and the man in the striped shirt leaves. 10:32 A man in a long skirt, dances down a dirt road, with a crowd of onlookers following him in a semi-circle. 11:24 Another shot of the circle, from a different angle. 12:11 A woman is asleep, on the ground, with four small drums beside her. 12:22 Two men crouching, holding chickens attempting to fight each other. 12:47 Overhead shot of people playing a game with small tokens. 12:57 Two people dancing in front of a line of others in traditional dress. 13:21 Same scene from a different angle (to the left). 14:02 Two people dancing with ceremonial swords, with a line of women dancing and playing drums behind them. On a beach. 14:49 Close up of the dancers on the beach. 15:10 Cut back to mid shot of dancers. 15:24 Man playing a trumpet with beach in the background. 15:36 Close up of trumpet player. 15:58 End of film segment.