Bill Bohlen’s passion for cinematography goes back a long way. When he and Diane lived in Papua New Guinea in the sixties, 16 mm and 8 mm cameras were part of the household equipment. Some of this footage shot between 1967 and 1969 has now been converted and posted on the You Tube website under the title ‘Papua New Guinea in the 1960s’. This now historic film is five minutes long and mainly features the colourful sights and sounds of the exotic Goroka Show.

It so happens that I was at this event for the weekend in question, sleeping on the dirt ‘floor’ of the Chimbu district pavilion and retain a vivid recollection of a plumed warrior using a bow and arrow to shoot a small pig in front of a horrified Queen Elizabeth II – with squads of kiaps running around aimlessly trying to figure what to do about it.

Bill’s video has many highlights, including a shot of possibly the last gentlemen in PNG to where a pith helmet. I really like Bill’s sound track, though, well compiled and very evocative of the time. Catch the video here. It really is a must see.