13:23 mins., b&w, silent – Dutch intertitles
Production : Koloniaal Institut
Source : EYE Dutch East Indies collection, viewable here
Informational film about Batak dry-rice cultivation. Well-made, follows process in a neutral way. One of a number of films made about the Karo-Batak by L.P. de Bussy: this was probably his longest film. Shot in 1917, but according to EYE website first screened in public in 1923.
EYE catalogue entry:
“A documentary that shows the various stages of rice growing in the dry fields among the Karo-Batak.
The film opens with an “introduction”, in which a picture is given of “the landscape, the village, and the people”. This is followed by the stages of rice growing: cultivating, ploughing, sowing, and harvesting. These stages are shown very neutrally, without any background information. The harvest festival, with which the film ends, gives picturesque images of victory carts being pulled to the village and women in festive attire taking part in a dance competition”
Stub – requires further work