For France 3’s travel programme presented by Philippe Gougler, a night with the Baining fire dancers of East New Britain.
Faut pas rêver is France 3’s long-running travel programme. For its Papua New Guinea episode, presented by Philippe Gougler, the crew travelled to East New Britain to film one of the most spectacular ceremonies in the Pacific: the Baining fire dance.
Dancing through the flames
The Baining live in the mountains of the Gazelle Peninsula. At night, men wearing masks of bark cloth stretched over bamboo frames dance around and through a large fire, sometimes with more than thirty masks at once. The dances mark births and harvests and play a part in the initiation of young men.
Filming at night
A fire dance is filmed in the dark, around a real fire, with dancers moving fast and close to the flames. It is agreed in advance with the community: the date, the place, what the crew can film and where it can stand.
The film
| Programme | Faut pas rêver, Papua New Guinea episode |
| Broadcaster | France 3 |
| Presenter | Philippe Gougler |
| Our role | Fixing & logistics |
Filming a ceremony in PNG?
We organise it with the community, on its terms.