Cannibal Tours

Synopsis

Along the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea, affluent tourists from Europe and America engage with the Iatmul people. They barter for woodcarvings and baskets, while documenting their experiences with cameras. Tourists observe staged dance performances and offer gifts like cigarettes and balloons. Their interactions reveal a pervasive ethnocentrism, as they express naive beliefs about local cultures. The film contrasts these behaviors with black-and-white photographs from the German colonial era, suggesting that the true consumption of culture lies with the visitors.