Samoa (1956)

Another in the Disney "People and Places" series that takes us to the Polynesian kingdom of Samoa. It depicts a village with a simple, community focussed, existence. Fish, coconuts, bananas and taro providing the staples for their diet, and the local population are agile enough to shin up a tree and release the nuts for harvesting. The milk is drunk or used for cooking and the husks ground into copra (usually for export) whilst the threads make for excellent twine or even rope - a family business. A tropical storm causes a brief moment of panic but otherwise this is a fairly peaceful, playful and gentle lifestyle with virtually no mod cons - including electricity. The photography illustrates well the fishing. That ranges from shallow diving to the much riskier activity beyond the safety of the reef. Carpentry is also a thriving craft on the island - ornamental and/or functional and we see just how they construct one of their larger houses. The live singing is entertaining, but the score is a bit on the twee side, and the narration does border on the condescending at times as Winston Hibbler describes some of the islander's rituals, protocols, musical ceremonies and tattoos! It's worth a watch.