Prolific filmmaker Spencer Peter Wangare is on a mission to inject some verve into Papua New Guinea’s film industry. He speaks to Mary Tao about the industry and his latest movie, Black Python.

Shooting a scene in Port Moresby for ‘Black Python’. Credit: Hila Wangare

Q: What is Black Python about?

A: It’s about the raskols – urban street gangs and drug dealers – with connections to higher authorities, who use underprivileged youth as scapegoats. The film is an action crime drama with themes of corruption, betrayal, love and justice. For me, as a filmmaker, if you are a corrupt policeman, drug dealer or boss of a drug operation, at the end (of the film) you end up behind bars or dead. Every bad person must face justice in the end.

Q: What is your role in Black Python?

A: I wear many hats in this film: writer, executive producer, producer, director, cinematographer and editor. Since there is no established film industry in PNG and not enough specialised people, I have had to take on multiple key roles.

‘Black Python’ film poster, which drew critical acclaim at its debut international screening in Honolulu. Credit: Pacific Media Solutions

Q: Who wrote the script?

A: Joseph Solien initially wrote the script for a radio play with more dialogue. Gloria Matias reviewed and rewrote the entire script for filming.

Q: How was the film funded?

A: The pre-production was self-funded. The National Cultural Commission Youth Desk and I spent more than K130,000 on the film. Making a 105-minute movie like Black Python is very expensive, involving many crew members, logistics for a four-month shooting period, visual effects work, editing, sound design, music score, colour grading and much more. For production, Governor Powes Parkop funded K50,000 under his Public Sector Investment Program. The National Cultural Commission, under the leadership of executive director Steven Kilanda, funded K20,000 for post-production. The entire film was shot in Port Moresby, promoting our amazing city as a shooting location.

Q:  Where and when can we watch Black Python?

A: The first international screening was in Honolulu during the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) in June. Even though the film was only 85 per cent complete, it received positive feedback from professionals and filmmakers from the Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, during a panel discussion. After post-production, we will release the film to festivals worldwide. The movie has already been accepted by the Hawaii International Film Festival (October 2–13) and the Solomon Islands’ Native Lens Film Festival (October 29–31).

Q: What do you think about the state of moviemaking in PNG?

Spencer Peter Wangare. Credit: Lennox Maintainaho

A: The film industry in PNG has been dormant for some time but it’s now picking up. Last year I worked hard and pushed the government to include a film program in the Medium-Term Development Plan IV 2023–2027. The government listened and has allocated an annual budget of K20 million to the National Film and Creative Arts Development program. The funding starts next year.

Q: What other film projects are you working on?

A: I’m working as an executive producer and producer on Jungle of Ghosts, directed by Charlie Hill-Smith; on the second instalment of Lukim Yu (See You), titled Lukim Yu Bihain (See You Later), which will be directed by Canadian filmmaker Chris Anderson; as executive producer for Tatini, which will be directed by Richard Seargant; and producing a TV show titled Haus Blo Paradise (Home in Paradise), which will be written and directed by Alana Hicks. Finally, I am working on two feature documentaries leading up to the 50th PNG Independence anniversary.

Q: How did you get into filmmaking?

A: Filmmaking is my passion. I was inspired by the movies I grew up watching at the piksa haus (picture house) in my village. I started learning about filmmaking while studying science foundation at the Pacific Adventist University. I later studied at the medical faculty and continued teaching myself filmmaking. I learned scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, editing on different types of software and visual effects animation. After I graduated, I worked for three years as a clinical pharmacologist, and then (with the money saved from work) I bought my video cameras and other equipment and built a studio.

This is an edited version of an original article first published in the October-December 2024 issue of Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.