TV crew amazed with Tolai culture

National, Normal
Source:

The National – Tuesday, February 8, 2011

By JEFFREY ELAPA
A TV crew from TV New Zealand who were in the country to do a documentary on the Tolai marriage and men initiation ritual described PNG culture as a unique and true living culture.
The crew included film-maker Kiel McNaughton, award winning journalist from the Television New Zealand’s 20/20 programme (TNZ2020).
Peter Cronshaw, award winning camera-man Martin Anderson and camera operator and editor Blair McNaughton, who is Kiel’s brother.
The crew witnessed and filmed Kiel McNaughton, a New Zealander, who came to pay bride price for his wife Kerry Warkia from ENB.
McNaughton also went through the men’s initiation ceremony in the Tolai tradition with his two sons, Noah and Apeal.
McNaughton and Warkia met in a Drama school in New Zealand in 1999 and they got married in Lae in 2003.
The bride price and the initiation ceremonies were filmed and would be made available  to viewers in New Zealand while McNaughton’s film would be posted on the internet.
Kiel said the films were part of a web series, which will be in three, 90-second episodes, and would be posted on the net for international exposure.
Cronshaw from TNZ2020 programme, a programme similar to the Australian Current Affairs, was accompanied by Anderson.
Cronshaw in an interview described the experience as fascinating to actually see beautiful and living cultures, unlike other cultures filmed.
“It was an amazing experience with amazing people and cultures. I have never seen such cultures like this – cultures that are real and living and that is part of the life of the people.
“It is not like in China or South America where such cultures are brought in and performed in houses and organised places,” he said.
The crew hoped that the documentary would be ready for viewing in three weeks time.