Tighten the Drums: Self-Decoration Among the Enga (Papua New Guinea,1983) dir. Chris Owen

In the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Enga people have developed the art of body decoration as a visual language. Using earth paints, tree oils, bird plumes, human hair, and a variety of plants, the Enga turn the body into a medium for an expressive and dramatic symbolism. Tighten the Drums shows the diverse forms of body art in both daily life and ritual in Enga village society.