Redding uit Shangri-la

Rescue from Shangri-la
Objectcode
FI/1200/38
Filmreport about the rescue of three American survivors of a airplanecrash with a C 47 bomber in the Central Highlands of New Guinea in 1943. 21 Other passengers were killed in this accident. With the help of a glider the survivors were evacuated from the Great Valley of the Baliem River. Also images of the way of life of the local Dani-population.
Contents
Description (source: www.beeldengeluid.nl) 00.04 Title: Rescue from Shangri-la. 00.15 Mountain area in New Guinea with clouds. 00.36 Varying air pictures of the landscape in which the survivors have been located. 01.03 Air view of Papua village in the valley. 01.08 Close-up parachutist near open plane door. The landing area in the valley. Parachutist near door ready to jump. Parachute jump (shot taken from the ground) 01.23 Woodcovered valley. Mountain ridge. 01.31 Rescue party of Filipino parachutists with survivors (all of them with rucksacks). The survivors are: Corporal Margaret Hastings (Maggie), John MacCollum (Mac), and Sergeant Decker (Walter?). (Names taken from spoken commentary.) 01.48 Papua bearer. 01.54 Broken hilly terrain with patrol and bearers. 02.02 Papua bearers with penis gourds. 02.12 The patrol. View of the valley with parachutists' encampment. 02.25 In the encampment (with four tents) Welcoming of the new arrivals. 02.55 Close-up Maggie with mirror, combing her hair. 03.05 Dakota in the air. Walter speaks with the plane's pilot via 'handy-talky'. 03.15 The party having meal. Close-up Maggie eating, as well as the other members of the party. 03.26 Dakota flies over the encampment to throw down parachutes with medicines, clothing and foodstuffs. 03.34 The burns on Maggie's legs are being treated. 03.42 Group of Papuas. Contact is being made with the inhabitants of the camp. Close-up Papuan with pig teeth through the nose and a shell string around the neck. 04.19 Group of Papuas visits the encampment with their 'Queen'. Close-up of the Papua Queen with elaborate headdress (made of feathers?). Close-up Maggie, shaking hands with the Papua Queen. 04.30 Members of the expedition on their way to the Papua village. 04.37 Survey of a well tilled piece of land. Two Papua women working their garden. Meeting on the road with a couple of Papuas. 04.49 Look-out post of long sticks bound together. A handful of Papua huts. Papua children with their grass skirts. 05.08 Maggie talking with 'Queen' and group of Papuas. 05.17 Papuachildren and women. Group of Papua warriors with Maggie. Maggie's hairs being combed by Papua women - Papua style. Papua huts in landscape. 05.38 Dakota throws off parachute with supplies which are recovered by the inhabitants of the camp. Walter talking with pilot via the handy-talky. 05.57 Maggie learns archery from a couple of Papuas. 05.59 Inhabitants of the encampment are waiting for the glider to land, which will take them from the valley. Close-up of Maggie, waiting and smoking a cigarette. 06.08 Encampment of tents. Inhabitants working. Two sucking-pigs on the wooden spit, Maggie joins the roasting. The roasted pigs are cut up and distributed. Party eating. 06.36 Group of Papuas visiting. They teach their language to members of the expedition and show their bodily strength and ways of fighting. 07.00 Close-up of kauri shells, used as means of payment. 07.05 A Papua is being rubbed with anti mosquito-oil. Maggie and a Papua are looking on. Close-up of a threesome of Papuas. 07.20 Parachutes are being put down on the terrain, the ground being levelled, long poles are being used for pegging out the landing grounds for the glider. Walter speaks with the pilot of the Dakota on the radio. 07.34 Dakota with glider in the distance between clouds. It approaches and makes a reconnaissance circuit over the landing site. Maggie and the others are looking on full of expectation. Walter with radio and tent in the foreground. Plane is being piloted down. Glider is loose and comes down for the landing. 08.31 The plane has landed and the encampment members join the plane. Walter and Mac near the glider. 8.36 The plane is being put into the correct position for taking off. Papuas join in helping. Close-up of the plane's nose. 08.47 Nylon drag-rope about a 100 yards long is being laid out. Poles with the drag-rope are being put up, thus making a catch-noose. 09.04 Dakota makes a trial round. Close-up: Draw-hook on nose of glider. 09.13 Maggie and the others prepare for leaving. Close-up of catch-noose on two long poles. The drag-rope is put onto the glider's draw-hook. Close-up of Maggie with her luggage near the glider. 09.28 Glider ready for starting, draw-plane nears, picks up the draw-rope with a hook. The glider gets off the ground, pulls up alongside the encampment. 09.54 Close-up of the glider pilot in cockpit. The two planes are circling above the valley to get across the mountains. Close-up glider's pilot. 10.02 Draw-plane and glider in the clouds. Layer of clouds over the mountains. Mountain chain in the clouds and the Sentani lake below. Pilot in the cockpit. 10.21 Runway of airport Hollandia. The glider touches down, taxies and gets to a halt. 10.44 Welcoming. Close-up of Maggie, Mac and Walter in front of the glider's side - name of the plane 'Fearless Faggot' 11.04 FILM END.
Year
1943

Technical detail

Film type
Film report
Black and white
Dutch

Thesaurus terms

Cultural
Cultural origin » Papua » Central Highlands » Centrale Highlands » Baliem Valley » Dani
Geographic
Geographical term » Papua » Division Hollandia » Explorationressort Eastern Highlands » Baliem

References

Links
http://www.beeldengeluid.nl