Katerina Jebb TV Takeover / Oh What a Blow That Phantom Gave Me by Edmund Snow Carpenter

“Here is an excerpt from Oh What a Blow That Phantom Gave Me. Originally a book written by anthropologist Edmund Snow Carpenter, the film documents the male initiation of the Kandangan tribe in Papua, New Guinea. Filmed and photographed by his wife Adelaide de Menil between 1969 and 1970, it is fascinating and disturbing to witness the extreme procedure that the young male endures in order to be initiated into the tribe. Using the medium of photography and 400,000 feet of 16mm film in black and white, as well as color and infrared film, not only as pure documentation but with dual functionality of exposing the subjects to themselves for the first time. Moreover it presents the idea of media intrusion into the protected, remote mountain areas where indigenous Papua had no acquaintance yet with writing, radios or cameras. Documentary filmmaker John Melville Bishop remastered this footage and the film in it’s entirety is available to buy here.” – Katerina Jebb

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