Once touched by a transformative gold mining operation, Misima, a remote island in Papua New Guinea, bears witness to the resilient journey of an indigenous landowner. Follow her as she navigates the task of rebuilding her fractured life while reclaiming the fading echoes of her traditional authority, eroded by the passage of time and outside forces.
As of 2024, the documentary is in the final stages of production.
In 1985, the arrival of an open-pit gold mine on the remote island of Misima brought profound changes to the lives of its inhabitants. The unequal access to employment and influx of cash disrupted traditional dynamics, leading to strained marriages, land disputes, and the adoption of Western ideas. In this shifting landscape, one woman's journey takes center stage.
Diuma Heni, whose marriage fell apart due to the allure of the Western mineworkers' lifestyle, faces further challenges when the father of her only daughter unilaterally moves the fifteen year old off the island. Struggling to maintain control over her own life as a single mother, Diuma encounters a local land dispute that threatens her subsistence farming. Determined to secure her daughter's future, she embarks on an uncharted path, fighting for recognition of her matrilineal land rights and becoming an emerging female leader in her clan.
Over the course of years, Misima intimately follows Diuma's courageous journey. As she confronts the destructive impact of industry on traditional ways of life, she balances fighting for her rights, tending her mountain garden, and exchanging heartfelt letters with her displaced daughter across the sea. Through Diuma's story, the film offers a poignant exploration of the clash between modern civilization and enduring values.
While Misima Island remains distant and often overlooked, the impact of our Western lifestyle reaches far and wide, including the lives of its villagers. The minerals extracted from places like Misima, such as gold, are essential components in the very devices we use daily.
The challenges faced by these villagers are not isolated; they resonate with all of us. Through this project, we aim to shed light on their stories and give Misimans the visibility they deserve using the powerful medium of documentary filmmaking.
Misima Island, Papua New Guinea (1988). Photo by Stuart Sinclair.
This evocative photograph unveils a significant chapter in the story of Misima Island, one profoundly shaped by the presence of mining. At the heart of this vast pit lies a narrative of change, where the island's untouched beauty yielded to the relentless pursuit of precious resources.
When the mine closed, gold prices were less than $300 USD per ounce, in stark contrast to today's price $1,900 USD, roughly. It's no surprise that Misima Mines earned the nickname "Marginal Mines," a testament to the tenacity of its workforce. Here, there wasn't just gold but also abundant silver to be extracted.
The creation of this pit was a monumental endeavor, involving the carving of solid rock through relentless drilling and blasting. It descended as deep as 40 to 20 meters above sea level, a remarkable feat in the island's rugged terrain. Villagers watched with trepidation as the pit's depths grew,
fearing the unimaginable—that the mining operation might cause their island to sink.
Stuart Sinclair's lens captures the 'glory holes,' remnants of a bygone era when economic realities forced the cessation of mining. The photograph also starkly illustrates the pit's narrow confines, showcasing the colossal volume of earth moved in pursuit of deeper riches, just out of reach.
As we reflect on the past, we are confronted by the stark contrast between the island's pristine natural beauty and the indelible mark left by the mining industry. In 'Misima,' the documentary, we delve into the mine not merely as a physical entity but as a symbol of profound transformation, shedding light on how the island's isolation and traditional way of life were irrevocably reshaped by the relentless pursuit of minerals.
“There’s been almost no research yet about what life has been like since the [Misima Mines] closure.”
The National Science Foundation
The Social Science Research Council
The Wenner-Gren Foundation
The University of California Regents
These funds are strictly for the ethnographic fieldwork. The documentary production is funded separately.
We are currently raising funds to conduct one final filming stint on Misima Island, capturing the remaining pieces of our mesmerizing non-fiction narrative.
Scheduled for October 2023, this last trip to Misima Island is crucial to completing our film before the end of 2024. It marks the culmination of a dedicated seven year production, encompassing multiple trips to Misima.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the individuals and companies who generously supported us throughout this long production period. Their contributions have been instrumental in bringing the stories of Misima Island's resilient landowners to light.
Forging New Frontiers:
Bryan Pitcher and Misiman Mark Joel Capture the Essence of Misima Island
“While capturing the main character through the filming process, it became increasingly evident to me that audiences would develop a profound affection for her, embracing her as a cherished, long-lost friend.”
Which means "my heart to all of you" in the spoken language of Pana Misima.
Brooke Denton
David Spicer
David Wissink
David & Deon Sagers
Dayna & Adam Pitcher
Debbie Kimball
Deryck Thompson
Diana Panfil
Diane Weeks
Dot Todman
Edward Turner
Ellen Blaser
Erick Herring
Eric Waddell
Etan Zimmet
James Dymond
Jay Weisbrod
Jeff Roodman
Jenifer Morris
Jennifer Taylor
Jessica Steele
John McLaughlin
John & Linda Pitcher
Johnny Spicer
Kathleen Blackwell
Laurie Rinck
Leigh Sawyer
Lisa Steele
Lorna Greenfield
Mario J Novoa
Mark Stubbs
Mark & Dhessy Spicer
Michaela von Schweinitz
Michelle Bush
N. E. Martinez
Natalia Latyszonek
Natasha Vaina
Neville Hayes
Nichole Alexander
Nicole Pitcher
Otis & Tennli Nelson
Randy Gubler
Rexine Pitcher
Richard Monsen
Shanna & Walt Spicer
Shawn Zumbrunnen
Stacey Bright
Steven Brewster
Susan Cohen
Sydnie Suskind
Tobey Cotsen Victor
Triona Mcgee
Viviana Serrano
We’re fiscally sponsored by IDA a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization & recipients of the Canon USA, Inc sponsorship.
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BRYAN PITCHER edited and associate-produced the feature documentary, Conversations With Nickle, which won Best Feature Documentary Award (Sedona Intl. FF) and was picked up by HBO. He associate-produced Faye Dunaway's short film, The Yellow Bird, which made its world premiere at Cannes. Bryan associate-produced and was a consulting editor for the international award-winning short film, The Bake Shop Ghost, which screened at 80 festivals around the world and won 20 awards for best short film. After directing and editing Scott Grimes' (American Dad!, The Orville, ER) music video for his top 20 contemporary hit Sunset Blvd., Bryan looks ahead to directing his first feature documentary, Misima.
Bryan graduated at the top of his class from The Los Angeles Film School, where he produced, wrote, and directed three 35mm student shorts. His thesis project, The Purple Flowers, was fiscally sponsored by the American Cancer Society and screened in United Artist Theaters in Los Angeles to promote cancer awareness. After graduation, Bryan was one of two people selected to study screenwriting at Columbia University's Graduate Film Program for a one-off, two-semester exchange program.
MARK JOEL, a resident of West Liak Village on the North Coast of Misima Island, plays a vital role in the film's production. Drawn to the purpose behind the project after meeting Bryan Pitcher, Mark quickly became an indispensable asset. His dedication and passion are evident in the extensive responsibilities he has taken on.
As the Assistant Director, Mark ensures the smooth progress of daily filming, meticulously tracking against the schedule. He adeptly handles logistics and travel routes through the bush, maintains essential filming equipment, and maintains order while the camera is rolling. His commitment to safety extends to the entire crew, while his expertise in translating the spoken language of Pana Misima to English assists the Director and Content Advisor in capturing the essence of the narratives.
Mark's unwavering dedication and invaluable contributions have truly become a cornerstone of the project's success.
JORDAN HAUG, Ph.D. discovered his love for anthropology at the early age of 12 when he checked out a copy of Margaret Mead's Growing Up in New Guinea from a library in Tokyo, Japan. It was then and there he decided to devote his life to anthropology and understanding different cultures. This led him to seek a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology at the University of California - San Diego. He conducted 20 months of ethnographic research on Misima Island, Papua New Guinea, for his dissertation. His fieldwork included learning the local vernacular and utilizing the typical anthropological methods of participant observation of daily Misiman life.
Jordan's research concerns how people on Misima hope for greater social equality in times of dramatic deindustrialization and geopolitical decline. In a country heavily dependent on the mineral extraction economy, Misima provides a critical case study on the long-term social impacts of industrial development in the region.
ERIC WADDELL is an ethnogeographer. Trained at the University of Oxford, McGill University, and the Australian National University, he has spent some fifteen years of his life engaged in research and teaching in Oceania. As a researcher, he conducted extended fieldwork in the 1960s and 1970s among the Orokaiva and the Enga of Papua New Guinea.
Eric first met Epeli Hau’ofa in Canberra in the mid-1960s, but their friendship deepened in the 1990s when both were teaching at the University of the South Pacific (Fiji). Epeli, a prolific writer, gifted Eric copies of many of his publications. On one occasion, Epeli gave him an audio cassette of a conference he had delivered in Honolulu in 1993, after visiting Misima island—his childhood home. In doing so, Epeli commented that he had never transcribed the recording and had no plans to do so in the future: "It’s going to remain an oral tradition."
Eric is the lead editor of Remembering Epeli Hau’ofa: His Life and Legacy (Christchurch: Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, 2023).
MAYSIE HOY (ACE) edited The Joy Luck Club, The Player (co-edited), Smoke, What Dreams May Come (shared credit), Freedom Song, Crazy In Alabama, Love Jones, and Freeway. Some of her recent editing credits include Breakthrough, Love Beats Rhymes, and Spare Parts. She received an Emmy nomination for Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and has been featured with thirty accomplished craftswomen in a book called Great Women in Films.
It was on Robert Altman's Buffalo Bill and the Indians that she first landed a job as an apprentice. There she discovered her passion for film editing. She moved up quickly to a film assistant. Later, she worked as a film and sound assistant on many Altman films and on projects that he produced with directors Alan Rudolph and Robert Benton. Today, she is on the Board of Directors in both the Motion Picture Editors Guild and American Cinema Editors.
LOI ALMEERA ALMERON is an accomplished investigative producer and editor renowned for her work on award-winning documentaries in the United States and the Philippines. With over 35 film projects to her credit, she has delved into diverse topics, showcasing her exceptional talent and commitment to storytelling.
Her notable contributions include collaborating on the Emmy-nominated film "Rape on the Night Shift," the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting finalist "Trafficked in America" for PBS Frontline, and the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series "Agents of Chaos," which received two Emmy nominations and a 2021 Writers Guild Award. Loi also worked on "The Culture of America: A Cross-Country Visit with the 2021 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows" and "Hale," the latter of which won the prestigious Student Academy Award for Documentary in 2017.
RUSS HOWARD grew up in the wilds of Southern Oregon on a small farm. Between milking goats and bailing hay, Russ studied the mysterious arts of classical piano and punk guitar. After studying formally at the Berklee College of Music, he moved to Los Angeles where he is a music composer with more than 100 film and TV credits.
Russ began his career doing production work and support writing for many of Hollywood's most celebrated composers, including Oscar winner Mychael Danna (Life of PI, Capote, Little Miss Sunshine). He has scored dozens of features (Hobo With a Shotgun, Family Weekend, Naughty or Nice), television episodes (Dollhouse, Teen Wolf, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Burn Notice), video games (Monsters vs. Aliens, Slims 3, Army of Two), and advertisements. Russ' clients have included Sony, WB Games, Best Buy, and Verizon; and, his music has been heard on every major network and at film festivals around the world, including Sundance, SXSW, and Cannes.
DENISE ZMEKHOL is a Brazilian-American journalist, an award-winning producer, and director of documentary films and media projects that span the globe. Her documentary films, commercials, and innovative transmedia projects are known internationally for their elegant visual style and deft storytelling.
Her feature documentary Children of the Amazon was supported by the Independent Television Service and broadcast on PBS, as well as on European and Latin American television. Through captivating photos and interviews, Children of the Amazon tells the story of struggle and hope to protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest and its inhabitants. The film won multiple awards at film festivals around the world. Denise co-produced and co-directed the Emmy award-winning PBS series Digital Journey, which explored emerging technologies in their social, environmental, and cultural contexts. She recently co-directed Bridge to the Future a short for PBS/TED Talks and was co-producer on Amir Soltani’s Dogtown Redemption that was exhibited on the PBS series Independent Lens.
CAROLYN PFEIFFER started her own public relations company in London. Her numerous clients included Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Francois Truffaut, and Robert Altman. In Los Angeles, Carolyn formed Alive Films with Shep Gordon. Together they produced Roadie, starring Meatloaf, and Return Engagement, a feature documentary directed by Alan Rudolph about the Timothy Leary & G. Gordon Liddy debates.
Carolyn produced a series of award-winning films including Trouble In Mind and The Moderns (both directed by Alan Rudolph), A Time of Destiny, The Whales of August, Grand Isle, Far North, and Silent Tongue. Today she resides in Marfa, Texas where her work as a producer continues. She just recently executive produced Far Marfa and the documentary Children of Giant for PBS. Carolyn is an active member of the Academy, the former president of IFP West, and was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Lone Star Film Festival in Fort Worth.
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