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James Morgan

Film & Television

James Morgan

Film & Television

Film & Television

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Lester is a 'rascal' or criminal from Moresby, PNG's dystopian capital city. He has reformed a number of times over the last decade but finds a life free from crime very difficult. He once severed a man's arm to steal a briefcase that was worn with h

Asaro Mudmen preparing for a performance in a small village outside Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Vegu, a member of the Nagamiufa tribe, in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea wearing traditional ‘bilas’. Her grandfather receives a small living allowance from the government for his work preserving traditional clothing of tribal groups in th

Vegu, a member of the Nagamiufa tribe, in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea wearing traditional 'bilas'. Her grandfather receives a small living allowance from the government for his work preserving traditional clothing of tribal groups in th

Michael Manove dressed in 'bilas' Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Michael Manove in the traditional bilas of his tribe, the Nagamiufa tribe. Michael dresses in bilas for political rallies, weddings and a ceremony called 'brideprice' during which a man's family take money and pigs and hold a celebration in his wife'

A few days before we began shooting this story, a long standing tribal conflict in neighbouring Kainantu resulted in 16 people from the settler Kamono tribe being brutally murdered. Kainantu, eastern highlands, png.

Private security firms do a roaring trade throughout PNG as a result of the high stakes corporate investment and the prevalence of criminal activity.

Crime is increasingly endemic in many parts of the highlands. Here a young man is put in a police van after stealing a missionary's bag, narrowly escaping the violent wrath of the angry mob.

There is just one police officer for every 500 citizens in Goroka and recruitment levels continues to fall. The police are not only outnumbered but outgunned, as illegal arms continue to proliferate.

Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands, it is a veritable melting pot of cultures. Settlers come from all over the highlands hoping to find work. It is home to both some of the most spectacular cultural exchnages on the planet and some of the

Inhabitants of Kimayao Village remove pumpkin and sweet potato from their Mumu (earth oven). A fire is first built in a pit; stones are then superheated on the embers before the food is placed in banana leaves on top, followed by a pig. The whole thi

Inhabitants of Kimayao Village address Thomson and thank him for visiting their village. In return he pledges to help their village should he be reelected.

Thomson Harokaqveh takes us on a pre election visit to a village in the mountains around Goroka. During his current term as MP he has built a new road in order that the villagers can get their coffee to market. The road still needs some work, however

Thomson Harokaqveh, Goroka MP and Minister for Environment, addresses a group of villagers in his constituency. Thomson is believed to be half Australian but he sells himself as PNG born and bred. The intense sweat on his head is the result of chewin

Huli wigmen in attendance at the rally in Gamusi Village, Eastern HIghlands, PNG.

The official rally takes place in Gamusi village, but villagers from throughout the valley will have come in order to pledge their support in return for money, beer, marijuana and and policy promises which may or may not be fulfilled during election

Huli wigmen in attendance at the rally in Gamusi Village

Young boys from Gamusi Village in Papua New Guinea shave their heads and glue the hair to their faces in order to look like dwarves. Dwarfes are considered good luck in PNG and can only be seen by children.

Young boys from Gamusi Village in Papua New Guinea shave their heads and glue the hair to their faces in order to look like dwarves. Dwarves are considered good luck in PNG and can only be seen by children. Papua New Guinea.

The problems are exacerbated as foreign nationals are also moving up into the highlands. Most shops in Goroka are run by Malaysian and Chinese immigrants, who have arrived in waves since the sixties. Simmering local resentments at this monopoly and p

There is a very large missionary presence in the highlands, missionaries often live in large enclaves outside town. They play an active role in the elections and their aviation divisions hold the keys to some of the easy votes from remote communities

Mama Kinanoh is a traditional healer, her skills have been passed down through generations. She is able to heal broken collarbones in one week, legs and arms take two. She is often called in to work in Goroka hospital.

The highlands of Papua New Guinea are fertile, resource rich and volatile. Tribal warfare has always been a fixture here but with population pressures causing migration and multinationals suddenly investing billions in mining, oil and gas projects, v

Lester is a 'rascal' or criminal from Moresby, PNG's dystopian capital city. He has reformed a number of times over the last decade but finds a life free from crime very difficult. He once severed a man's arm to steal a briefcase that was worn with h

Asaro Mudmen preparing for a performance in a small village outside Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Vegu, a member of the Nagamiufa tribe, in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea wearing traditional ‘bilas’. Her grandfather receives a small living allowance from the government for his work preserving traditional clothing of tribal groups in th

Vegu, a member of the Nagamiufa tribe, in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea wearing traditional 'bilas'. Her grandfather receives a small living allowance from the government for his work preserving traditional clothing of tribal groups in th

Michael Manove dressed in 'bilas' Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Michael Manove in the traditional bilas of his tribe, the Nagamiufa tribe. Michael dresses in bilas for political rallies, weddings and a ceremony called 'brideprice' during which a man's family take money and pigs and hold a celebration in his wife'

A few days before we began shooting this story, a long standing tribal conflict in neighbouring Kainantu resulted in 16 people from the settler Kamono tribe being brutally murdered. Kainantu, eastern highlands, png.

Private security firms do a roaring trade throughout PNG as a result of the high stakes corporate investment and the prevalence of criminal activity.

Crime is increasingly endemic in many parts of the highlands. Here a young man is put in a police van after stealing a missionary's bag, narrowly escaping the violent wrath of the angry mob.

There is just one police officer for every 500 citizens in Goroka and recruitment levels continues to fall. The police are not only outnumbered but outgunned, as illegal arms continue to proliferate.

Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands, it is a veritable melting pot of cultures. Settlers come from all over the highlands hoping to find work. It is home to both some of the most spectacular cultural exchnages on the planet and some of the

Inhabitants of Kimayao Village remove pumpkin and sweet potato from their Mumu (earth oven). A fire is first built in a pit; stones are then superheated on the embers before the food is placed in banana leaves on top, followed by a pig. The whole thi

Inhabitants of Kimayao Village address Thomson and thank him for visiting their village. In return he pledges to help their village should he be reelected.

Thomson Harokaqveh takes us on a pre election visit to a village in the mountains around Goroka. During his current term as MP he has built a new road in order that the villagers can get their coffee to market. The road still needs some work, however

Thomson Harokaqveh, Goroka MP and Minister for Environment, addresses a group of villagers in his constituency. Thomson is believed to be half Australian but he sells himself as PNG born and bred. The intense sweat on his head is the result of chewin

Huli wigmen in attendance at the rally in Gamusi Village, Eastern HIghlands, PNG.

The official rally takes place in Gamusi village, but villagers from throughout the valley will have come in order to pledge their support in return for money, beer, marijuana and and policy promises which may or may not be fulfilled during election

Huli wigmen in attendance at the rally in Gamusi Village

Young boys from Gamusi Village in Papua New Guinea shave their heads and glue the hair to their faces in order to look like dwarves. Dwarfes are considered good luck in PNG and can only be seen by children.

Young boys from Gamusi Village in Papua New Guinea shave their heads and glue the hair to their faces in order to look like dwarves. Dwarves are considered good luck in PNG and can only be seen by children. Papua New Guinea.

The problems are exacerbated as foreign nationals are also moving up into the highlands. Most shops in Goroka are run by Malaysian and Chinese immigrants, who have arrived in waves since the sixties. Simmering local resentments at this monopoly and p

There is a very large missionary presence in the highlands, missionaries often live in large enclaves outside town. They play an active role in the elections and their aviation divisions hold the keys to some of the easy votes from remote communities

Mama Kinanoh is a traditional healer, her skills have been passed down through generations. She is able to heal broken collarbones in one week, legs and arms take two. She is often called in to work in Goroka hospital.

The highlands of Papua New Guinea are fertile, resource rich and volatile. Tribal warfare has always been a fixture here but with population pressures causing migration and multinationals suddenly investing billions in mining, oil and gas projects, v

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