Film Lens
First Contact recounts the arrival of gold-prospecting Australians in the highlands of New Guinea in 1930, where a native population of around one million lived. The film features testimonies from the inhabitants and surviving members of the Leahy brothers' gold prospecting party, capturing their astonishment at this unexpected encounter. It utilizes both moving and still images taken by Michael Leahy, the leader of the prospecting party, alongside contemporary footage of the island's terrain.
The documentary is the first in what became known as The Highlands Trilogy, followed by Joe Leahy's Neighbours and Black Harvest. These films continue the Leahy story through the next generation, focusing on Michael Leahy's mixed-race son, Joe Leahy, and his life managing coffee plantations on land acquired from the Ganiga tribe. The trilogy examines the transition from tribal life to a Western capitalist society, highlighting conflicts over land ownership and cultural implications.
Why Watch
- •See the 1930 gold rush in New Guinea
- •Meet the Leahy brothers and their gold prospecting party
- •Find out about the native population's reaction
Did You Know
•First Contact grossed $120,000 at the Australian box office.
•The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
•First Contact won Best Feature Documentary at the 1983 Australian Film Institute Awards.
•The Highlands Trilogy includes three films that have won around thirty major awards.
Perfect For
Australian historyIndigenous culturesDocumentary enthusiasts