Ongkas Big Moka: The Kawelka of Papua New Guinea (1976)

Ongka s Big Moka: The Kawelka of Papua New Guinea is a 1976 documentary film, part of Granada Television s Disappearing World Series. In Ongka s Big Moka Ongka, a New Guinea Big man, is seen preparing a Moka exchange. The film follows Ongka s struggles to accumulate huge numbers of pigs and other items of value to present at a Moka ceremony to another tribe. The objective of Ongka s Moka is to build status, prestige and fame for his tribe and for himself. Ongka uses Moka to elevate his status as the Big Man of his tribe. The film shows clearly that there are strong elements of competition and oneupmanship in giving Moka, setting the ceremony s date, and also despite the fact that they never filmed it in the actual Moka ceremony itself in which the participants wear traditional and magnificent Highland decoration. Giving Moka can bring the giver close to ruin but the political and social gains from increased prestige can outweigh this.