Film Lens
Black Harvest is the concluding film of 'The Highlands Trilogy', following the story of Joe Leahy, a half-white, half-native tribal leader, and his relationship with the Ganiga people. The film focuses on their joint ownership of the Kilima coffee plantation, which becomes a source of conflict due to falling international coffee prices. As the Ganiga people face reduced wages, tensions rise, coinciding with outbreaks of tribal warfare.
The filmmakers, Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson, lived on location for a year to capture the unfolding events. Their experience was marked by danger, including a significant incident where they took a Ganiga man to a hospital, leading to their house being burned down and threats against their lives. The film presents a raw view of the socio-economic struggles and cultural dynamics in Papua New Guinea during a tumultuous period.
Why Watch
- •See Joe Leahy's complex relationship with the Ganiga people.
- •Find out how coffee prices impacted local livelihoods.
- •Meet the filmmakers who lived in a war zone for a year.
Did You Know
•The film was shot over a year in Papua New Guinea during 1991-1992.
•Connolly and Anderson's house was burned down after they helped a Ganiga man.
•The documentary won the Grand Prix at Cinema du Reel in Paris.
•Connolly wrote a book about the filming experience, winning a Walkley Award in 2005.
Perfect For
Documentary enthusiastsCultural anthropologyCoffee industry insights