A film directed by Thomas Balmès (Director, Author, Director of Photography, Producer)
Year of production :2000
Length : 52’
Broadcasters : Canal + France, Canal + Belgium, RTBF

Synopsis
The Huli tribe is one of the largest among 950 tribes of Papua New Guinea. They
live in one of the most remote parts of the island and saw the first Whites,
Methodist missionaries, arrive in 1955. Since then, these missionaries have had to
compete with other hundred churches to convert the most Papuans as possible. If
women could see baptism as a way of enjoying a new recognition, the same was
not true for men. For them, baptism meant giving up polygamy, tribal warfare and
most of their traditions.
In « The Gospel according to the Papuans », we followed the last weeks preceding
the baptism of old Huli warriors, led by their chief Ghini, who had just destroyed
the ancestor’s house to build a church in its place to prepare their baptism. As
many other missionaries all over the country, Salomon, the Pastor, had just
convinced theses last resistant to convert to Christianity by announcing them the
return of the Christ, the Antichrist and the Apocalypse for the arrival of the new
Millennium.
One year later, while they were still waiting for the return of Jesus, life had
changed in the village of Mundugya. After the arrival of the missionaries who had
considerably reduced their power, the traditional leaders had to face the arrival
of governmental elections which had seen a woman elected as the new council of
the community. Salomon, by committing an adultery with that new council had
just been sacked by Ghini who was trying to use this story to regain his leadership.

Festivals

Cinéma du Réel 2001

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