Land of the Morning Star(2003)
The western half of the island of New Guinea has been known by many names including Netherlands New Guinea, West Papua, Irian Jaya and Papua. It is an extraordinary place where snow-capped mountains drain into massive rivers and 250 languages are spoken. For centuries, the world has jostled for control of this rugged, isolated region, with its abundant natural resources and strategic position. Through eyewitness accounts and rare archival film, this fascinating documentary paints a picture that is intimate in detail but epic in scope. It is a sweeping saga of colonial ambitions, cold war sellouts and fervent nationalism, which highlights the role of players such as Australia and the UN at crucial points.

Movie: Land of the Morning Star
Land of the Morning Star
HomePage
Overview
The western half of the island of New Guinea has been known by many names including Netherlands New Guinea, West Papua, Irian Jaya and Papua. It is an extraordinary place where snow-capped mountains drain into massive rivers and 250 languages are spoken. For centuries, the world has jostled for control of this rugged, isolated region, with its abundant natural resources and strategic position. Through eyewitness accounts and rare archival film, this fascinating documentary paints a picture that is intimate in detail but epic in scope. It is a sweeping saga of colonial ambitions, cold war sellouts and fervent nationalism, which highlights the role of players such as Australia and the UN at crucial points.
Release Date
2003-01-01
Average
0
Rating:
0.0 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
Keywords
Similar Movies

The Look of Silence(en)
An optician grapples with the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966, during which his older brother was exterminated.

War Photographer(en)
Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey, considered by many the greatest war photographer ever.

Wild Window: Bejeweled Fishes(es)
Bejeweled Fishes captures the spectacular beauty of the myriad fishes inhabiting coral reefs of the Tropical and Eastern Pacific. This Wild Window was captured in the Maldives Islands, Fiji, the Philippines, Mexico, California, and Indonesia.

The Night in IV Chapters(id)
A group of students surround their beloved campus. But what they did was unnatural. In general, other people will surround the campus in the afternoon or evening, but they will circle the campus at night, to be more precise, starting at 11 pm. There are various things that they find while circling their beloved campus…

Wet Earth and Warm People(en)
This documentary by Michael Rubbo (Waiting for Fidel) offers candid glimpses of Indonesia and its people. Filming in and around the capital of Jakarta, the cameras follow where chance leads, capturing the flavour of life in this fertile crescent of tropical islands. Throughout the film, the focus is on a society caught between the past and the conflicting options for the future - to change or not to change from long-established patterns of life to ones more influenced by western technology.

Finding Amelia(en)
In 1945, a group of Australian soldiers inadvertently stumbled across Amelia Earhart's downed airplane in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Now, a team of specialists will use the soldiers' exclusive testimony and an old patrol map to find the plane again.

Position Among the Stars(id)
Through the eyes of grandmother Rumidjah, a poor old Christian woman living in the slums of Jakarta, we see the economical changing society of Indonesia and the influence of globalization reflected in the life of her juvenile granddaughter Tari and her sons Bakti and Dwi.

Capri in Tangerang (Her Sneakers)(en)
A sequel to My Sneakers - the 2001 video where Blum traveled his Nike sneakers back to Indonesia to figure out where they really came from. This time, it's the artist's daughter's shoes that prompt him to return to Jakarta. While echoing My Sneakers and its investigative drive, Capri unravels as a reflection on time passing and the dialectics of permanence and change. Factories are still producing sneakers, but the world around has completely changed…

Canine(su)
A family in rural area of West Java, Indonesia enjoys their time with 'Ngadu Bagong', a sundanese traditional game where dogs put to fight against a wild boar in a single event. Ngadu Bagong has always been some sort of animal abuse but it's been in the tradition for a long time. Ade Rohmat has been in the game for a long time; a hobby that he now passes on to his daughter, Ilma Nurjanah. The potentially controversial Ngadu Bagong has always brought intense emotion, prestige, and fortune upon its practicioners.

O Regresso(pt)
"O Regresso" is a documentary featuring renowned Portuguese actor Ruy de Carvalho as he returns to Macau after a 10-year absence. Directed to mark the 10th anniversary of his visit, the film captures Ruy de Carvalho revisiting key locations across the city, reflecting on the cultural and social transformations that Macau underwent in the lead-up to its handover from Portuguese to Chinese administration in 1999. Blending personal memories with the evolving landscape, the documentary offers a nostalgic look at Macau's unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, seen through the eyes of one of Portugal’s most beloved actors.

Guilty(en)
A film about convicted drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran, who became an accomplished artist before he was executed by firing squad in Indonesia in April 2015.

Earning Rupiah From Scrap Metal(id)
Some Madurese choose to live outside their homeland, migrating to build a better life. Surabaya has become one of the destination cities for the Madurese people. They work hard, pursuing various professions. some of them are owning a scrap metal business.

Indonesia: New Nation of Asia(en)
Hosted by Ubud's political leader Agung Jakarta Sulawesi Mas, William Deneen here visits important sites and describes the political, religious, and economic situation on the island of Bali in the Indonesia of 1959.

The Last Trimate(en)
Narrated by Mel Gibson, The Last Trimate is a compelling account of the work of Birute Mary Galdikas -- who, alongside Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, is one of the three formidable women to have dedicated their lives to the great apes of the world -- she highlights the plight of the elusive 'red ape' and offers some hope for their survival as their very habitat is decimated at a startling rate.

Dragon Island(en)
There is an island where dragons still roam. A Jurassic type underworld where ancient warlords still rule. Where they fight for supremacy...where they fight to survive. Komodo Island - deep in the remote basin of the Pacific Ocean - its an ancient Kingdom of fire and brimstone. Here, a string of 452 volcanoes erupt from the ocean bed, its known as "The Ring of Fire" and it's the perfect habitat for dragons. Komodo Dragons! The largest living lizard on the planet with 34 million years of survival in his DNA. Its no surprise that he's still known as a dragon, he has the presence of an ancient gladiator. He's armored in claws and scales, but instead of spitting fire, he spits deadly venom.

Into the Jungle(en)
Conservationists Jim and Jean Thomas braved the steamy jungles of Papua New Guinea to save a tree kangaroo from extinction and ended up providing water and sanitation to ten thousand people in one of the most remote places on earth.

Baruya Muka Archival(en)
A detailed record of the first stage male initiation ceremony of the Baruya of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. A group of nine to 12 year old boys are followed through their first initiation - from the last days with their families through their nose-piercing and other rituals and ordeals to the final feast given in their honour. It is a tough time, the beginning of a ten-year journey to warrior and manhood.