Borrow it
Coverart for item
The Resource First contact

First contact

Contributor
Summary
This is the classic film of cultural confrontation that is as compelling today as when it was first released over 20 years ago. When Columbus and Cortez ventured into the New World there was no camera to record the drama of this first encounter. But, in 1930, when the Leahy brothers penetrated the interior of New Guinea in search of gold, they carried a movie camera. Thus they captured on film their unexpected confrontation with thousands of Stone Age people who had no concept of human life beyond their valleys. This amazing footage forms the basis of First contact. Yet there is more to this extraordinary film than the footage that was recovered. Fifty years later some of the participants are still alive and vividly recall their unique experience. The Papuans tell how they thought the white men were their ancestors, bleached by the sun and returned from the dead. They were amazed at the artifacts of 20th century life such as tin cans, phonographs and airplanes. When shown their younger, innocent selves in the found footage, they recall the darker side of their relationship with these mysterious beings with devastating weapons. Australian Dan Leahy describes his fear at being outnumbered by primitive looking people with whom he could not speak. He felt he had to dominate them for his own survival and to continue his quest for gold. First contact is one of those rare films that holds an audience spell-bound. Humor and pathos are combined in this classic story of colonialism, told by the people who were there. Filmmaker: Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 54 min.)
Note
Title from title frames
Link
Instance
Label
First contact
Title
First contact
Contributor
Film director
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
This is the classic film of cultural confrontation that is as compelling today as when it was first released over 20 years ago. When Columbus and Cortez ventured into the New World there was no camera to record the drama of this first encounter. But, in 1930, when the Leahy brothers penetrated the interior of New Guinea in search of gold, they carried a movie camera. Thus they captured on film their unexpected confrontation with thousands of Stone Age people who had no concept of human life beyond their valleys. This amazing footage forms the basis of First contact. Yet there is more to this extraordinary film than the footage that was recovered. Fifty years later some of the participants are still alive and vividly recall their unique experience. The Papuans tell how they thought the white men were their ancestors, bleached by the sun and returned from the dead. They were amazed at the artifacts of 20th century life such as tin cans, phonographs and airplanes. When shown their younger, innocent selves in the found footage, they recall the darker side of their relationship with these mysterious beings with devastating weapons. Australian Dan Leahy describes his fear at being outnumbered by primitive looking people with whom he could not speak. He felt he had to dominate them for his own survival and to continue his quest for gold. First contact is one of those rare films that holds an audience spell-bound. Humor and pathos are combined in this classic story of colonialism, told by the people who were there. Filmmaker: Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson
Cataloging source
UtOrBLW
Characteristic
videorecording
Date time place
Originally produced by Documentary Educational Resources in 1983
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
  • Connolly, Bob
  • Anderson, Robin
  • Kanopy (Firm)
Runtime
52
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Leahy, Michael
  • First contact (Anthropology)
  • Ethnology
  • Manners and customs
  • Documentary films
Technique
live action
Label
First contact
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Note
Title from title frames
Antecedent source
unknown
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
  • tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 54 min.)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Medium for sound
other
Other physical details
digital, .flv file, sound
Publisher number
1095888
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
sound
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
System control number
(OCoLC)897770775
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Video recording format
other
Label
First contact
Link
Publication
Note
Title from title frames
Antecedent source
unknown
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
  • tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 54 min.)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Medium for sound
other
Other physical details
digital, .flv file, sound
Publisher number
1095888
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
sound
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
System control number
(OCoLC)897770775
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Video recording format
other

Subject

Genre

Library Locations

  • Anza LibraryBorrow it
    550 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94121, US
    37.778535 -122.497218
  • Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton LibraryBorrow it
    5075 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94124, US
    37.732534 -122.391121
  • Bernal Heights LibraryBorrow it
    500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.738862 -122.416132
  • Bookmobiles / Mobile OutreachBorrow it
    San Francisco, CA, US
  • Chinatown/Him Mark Lai LibraryBorrow it
    1135 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, US
    37.795248 -122.410239
  • Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial LibraryBorrow it
    1 Jose Sarria Court, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.764084 -122.431821
  • Excelsior LibraryBorrow it
    4400 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.727127 -122.433284
  • Glen Park LibraryBorrow it
    2825 Diamond Street, San Francisco, CA, 94131, US
    37.733969 -122.433723
  • Golden Gate Valley LibraryBorrow it
    1801 Green Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.797819 -122.428950
  • Ingleside LibraryBorrow it
    1298 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.724132 -122.456251
  • Marina LibraryBorrow it
    1890 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.801325 -122.434154
  • Merced LibraryBorrow it
    155 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.726735 -122.474482
  • Mission Bay LibraryBorrow it
    960 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, US
    37.775330 -122.393195
  • Mission LibraryBorrow it
    300 Bartlett St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.751989 -122.419843
  • Noe Valley/Sally Brunn LibraryBorrow it
    451 Jersey Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.750180 -122.435116
  • North Beach LibraryBorrow it
    850 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94133, US
    37.802585 -122.413280
  • Ocean View LibraryBorrow it
    345 Randolph Street, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.714138 -122.466002
  • Ortega LibraryBorrow it
    3223 Ortega Street, San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.751163 -122.498094
  • Park LibraryBorrow it
    1833 Page Street, San Francisco, CA, 94117, US
    37.770300 -122.451046
  • Parkside LibraryBorrow it
    1200 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA, 94116, US
    37.743130 -122.479330
  • Portola LibraryBorrow it
    380 Bacon Street, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.727098 -122.406361
  • Potrero LibraryBorrow it
    1616 20th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107, US
    37.760122 -122.397653
  • Presidio LibraryBorrow it
    3150 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.788875 -122.444892
  • Richmond/Senator Milton Marks LibraryBorrow it
    351 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94118, US
    37.781855 -122.468054
  • San Francisco Public LibraryBorrow it
    100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, US
    37.779376 -122.415795
  • Sunset LibraryBorrow it
    1305 18th Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.763354 -122.476307
  • Visitacion Valley LibraryBorrow it
    201 Leland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.712695 -122.407913
  • West Portal LibraryBorrow it
    190 Lenox Way, San Francisco, CA, 94127, US
    37.741341 -122.465883
  • Western AdditionBorrow it
    1550 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.784121 -122.437503

Library Links

Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by San Francisco Public Library. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces.
Processing Feedback ...