简介：TheAustralianAboriginesareoneofthefewpeopleleftintheworldnotcontaminatedbyargriculture.Buttheyarerapidlydetribalizingandanthropologistsallovertheworldarebecomingawarethattheircpportunitiestostudytheseculturesuntaintedbythesocializationthatfarmingbringsarerapidlyfading.Awareoftheneedtoencourageresearch,TheAustralianInstituteforAborginalStudieswassetupundertheruleofLiberalPrimeMinisterJohnGordonMenzies.TodayitrepresentseffortstowardsgettingAboriginalculturedownonfilm,tapeandpaperbeforeittotallydisappearinlightofthegovernment'spolicytopromoteassimilationandtodiscourage"anykindofcompulsoryandpermanentapartheid". Americandocumentaryfilm-makerDavidMacDougall,whonowheadsthefilmunitattheInstitute,completedhisfirstfilmforthem,Good-ByeOldMan,in1977.Forit,hetravelledtoMelvilleIsland,justnorthoffthecoastfromDarwin,inhabitedbytheTiwitribe(amongwhomaloneexitseventylanguages!).Onthislushlytropicalislandthemainindustryistheproductionofwoodchips,andsomanyoftheislandersarelogcutters.ButdespitethisandawelfarestationatSnakeBayoperatedbythegovernmenttohelpsustaintheislanders,theyremainbasicallyastubbornpeople,adamantintheirwaysandwithasomewhatexplosivetempermentthatoccasionallymanifestsitselfinpassionateoutbursts.MacDougall'sfocusinthisfilmistheunusualandornatePukamuniburialriteoftheTiwi;whenapersondiesthefamilyassemblesandanartistsinthegroupcutsandpaintsabatchofwoodenpoleswhichareplacedaroundthegrave,eachsymbolizingaparticularmemberofthefamily,livingordead.Thecorpseishungoverheadanditnotcutdownuntilthenextfullmoon. UnlikemostfilmsaboutAboriginalceremonies,Good-byeOldman,madeinthe'observationalist'style,isnarratedbyaparticipantintheceremonyemphasizingthesurroundingfamilyandsocialmilieu. NancyIsrael…