© Antony Gormley's Waste Man commissioned by Artangel for Penny Woolcock's feature film Exodus
Director: Verena Thomas (Germany)
Year: 2006
Run time: 54'
Location/Ethnic group: Papua New Guinea/ Chimbu
Language: In English, Tok Pisin and Kuman with English subtitles
Production/Distribution: Verena Thomas, Penny Jope
In 1937 a young missionary, Father John Nilles, arrived in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. There he would stay for the next 54 years, living with the people of Chimbu, learning their language and way of life, introducing them to his God and Western culture. More than just a priest, he would also become an anthropologist, linguist, politician and clan leader. Through Nilles’ extraordinary archive of photos, diaries and letters as well as through interviews with those who knew him, filmmaker Verena Thomas pieces together a portrait of this fascinating man – her great-uncle. What she discovers is an unexpected new family, who had made ‘Papa’ Nilles one of their own. Presenting a personal perspective on ‘big picture’ history, Papa Bilong Chimbu offers a thought-provoking insight into the complexity of cultural exchange.