FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Map of Solomon Islands off the coast of Australia and detail of location of Fanalae Village on South Malaita Island. Re-enactment of traditional bride price ceremony in which bride's father accepts payment of five strings of shell money and 1000 dolphin teeth for the marriage of his daughter. WS of village huts built over water, children and islanders throwing at materials at approaching boats. VS of village life and islander people. Three long boats approaching onshore camera and carrying bride. Bride walks across grass mats to enter hut. She re-emerges and sweeps sand with hand held broom.

Solomon islander men in small dugout canoes engaging in ceremony to keep sharks away from lagoon. Men dive overboard to collect shells and paddle canoes on still water. High angle LS of canoes on lagoon in formation. Track from water past village huts on slope of shore with line of palm trees on top of hill. Women taking part in preparation of the shell money over hot rocks. Men carrying woven baskets of shells to hot rock fire and women placing large green leaves over shells and watering to create steam. Communal eating of contents of cooked shells and circle of women bent over large pot of shells while other women sort shells.

Solomon islander men making flat platform with woven grass mats for drying shell money. Village men taking shells in long boats to North Malaita island where they will be made into money

Map of location of Busu Village, Langa Langa Lagoon, North Malaita. Track past village huts on the shore of lagoon. Islander men and women chiselling money from shells which are sold to tourists. Islanders showing jewellery and necklaces made from shells. Small islander boy fishing in lagoon with hand line. VS of the process of making shell money. Family group on verandah of hut. Man using a hand held saw and WS of timber house on stilts.

Map showing location of The Lau islands, home of the salt water people. WS of two small islander boys running in shallow water of lagoon. Men harvesting coral for building artificial islands or atolls in the lagoon which house just one family. VS of family life on the small islands. Traders in long canoes sell yams, taro and sweet potato. High angle WS of islanders paddling canoes. Groups arrive for Takwa market. VS of islanders listening to local constable making general announcements. VS of trading at market. Men laying out fishing nets over timber structures on water. Interior local store. Weighing bucket of fish.

Interior of local store on Lau Islands with man serving a customer. Weighing a bucket of fish and filling large esky or refrigerator with fish which group of men carry through village and then row in canoe to mainland. Esky is driven in back of open truck to Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands. VS of traffic and pedestrian activity in Honiara main streets. MS man mending fishing net and group of men in dugout canoes netting fish. CU of fish catch. VS of fish shop activity and fishermen unloading catch from boats. Man carrying outboard motor on his back from boat to shore. Good WS of village huts and men untangling nets on beach