Alfred Melotu, The Funeral of a Paramount Chief

Abstract

Alfred Melotu is a Big Man and Paramouth Chief among the Melanesians in the Reef Islands group off, the Solomon Islands. In 1994 a film crew visited Alfred in order to plan a future film. Unfortunately, on the return in 1996 Alfred was on his deathbed suffering from mouth cancer. Nevertheless, he was still a Big Man. Alfred consequently allowed the film crew to record his deathbed and funeral in order to be remembered for the future. However, the film was also to be used as a documentation for his family in order to further secure his land and possessions from other Big Men. In other words, Alfred, used the film as a medium to try to further his power beyond his death.