HOME MOVIES: 1960’s

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1960’

Format: 16mm

Description: This home-made silent film shows Christian missionaries in Uganda, Africa. It provides footage of local natives as well as scenery around the area. It opens with tribe members donning kanzus; traditionally worn by natives in the African Great Lakes, as an armed guard stands near by (:10). The procession heads to a flattened area in the grass for worship (:39). A woman’s towering headdress is pointed to (2:45). The native kraal sits in the background as natives beat on drums in the foreground (3:03). Two babies are seen crying in the typical red and green koifa also traditionally worn by natives of eastern Africa (3:17). Though they were traditionally worn by men, a red koifa is seen atop one of the female drummers’ head (3:22). Aluminum containers are pushed and loaded up into a truck bed (3:46). A large cart loaded with bags of goods is rolled forward by hand (4:13). Two Caucasian children, presumably belonging to the Christian missionaries, run forward with native children (4:45). One of the young natives is seen limping with their foot pushed forward (5:06). An elderly man sits on the ground and unwraps his clothing to reveal a large pink scarred tissue running down the side of his neck (6:13). An older Caucasian woman in a pink dress doles out water (6:19). Youth sit on the dirt with exposed wounds around their ankles which appear to be from shackles attached to their feet (6:45). The woman then adds some sort of medical powder to their wounds (6:51). The missionaries move their vehicle over a waterway aboard a small ferry (7:22). One of the missionaries performs a baptism (7:53) ducking one of the men back into the water. Natives are seen pushing long narrow boats through the waters (8:32). Some of the colorful cloth wraps and headwear of the natives are zoomed in on including a woman wearing a large feathered hat (9:54). A sea of small children race towards the cameraman as a few stop to peer quixotically into the camera (10:48). A young man with scars on his cheeks follows (10:54). The film concludes on a sunset (11:26).

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