Documentary : Joe Leahy’s Neighbours (1988)

Yesterday, was a special day. The cinema "La Clef" in Paris in partnership with the organization Survival screened the documentary "Joe Leahy's Neighbours"(1988) directed  by the special Australian duet Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson. 

Robin Anderson sat in the middle of the picture with Ganiga people.

Thierry Garrel the former head of the Documentary scheduler of Arte France (The official channel tackling Culture and Art) was there to introduce the film and then discuss it after the screening. The documentary pictures a special moment of the Ganiga tribe living in Papua New Guinea Highland. The Ganigas are at a crossroads, a moment where the Ganigas can choose either to live up with their traditions or to accept the "white man" way of life through one of their own people Joe Leahy half Ganiga and Australian. The latter is a wealthy coffee grower on land sold to him at a very cheap price by the Ganiga tribe. The Ganigas will try to take their land back as they realize too late Joe does not equally split the money and keeps the major part for himself.

Joe Leahy on the right.

Bob and Robin managed to become the eye of an insider not as spys but in a true and sincere approach where they catched a fragment of the Ganiga's soul. As a documentary film, what they did is simply amazing. The spectator is almost a member of the tribe as well as in Joe's head.
But more importantly are the topics and questions this piece of work raise such as the social relationship between human beings from different cultures, bi-cultural issues, tradition vs modernity. Joe's vision of the future for his people is clear, they need to meet the white man's way of life and in the same time keep on passing on their traditions. But his "white" manners intentional or not work against himself and reveal a man who ultimately wants to maintain his power and social position despite his will to help the village. The power struggle is lingering in the air. Joe does not hesitate to lecture his tribe on the way of life they should embrace. 
What is sad and therefore touching is the naivety and honesty of the Ganigas which do not give them the key to fight the ways of the business man. One of the best image is the bank scene when the chief of village's wife accept to go to the bank to open a bank account in order to raise enough money to buy their land back. They decided to set foot on Joe's ground and did it honestly following the rules of the modern society when they could demand it by right.
Joe Leahy's Neighbours is a great testimony of the Ganigas' history and a fruitbasket of reflexion about our society. 
I really appreciated the documentary and highly recommend it.

BobbyManhattan
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A documentary film by Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson.