The witch doctor

This film takes place in Indonesia where native homes and various activities including spinning, weaving, goldsmithing, and cooking are pictured. A sick man is treated by the witch doctor: a strand of the patient's hair is attached to a palm leaf, then a suckling pig is sacrificed and its snout offered to the gods. The patient is then anointed with the pig's blood and the cure is complete. Depicted is the restraining of young men and the filing down of their teeth. Ritual dances and a procession of the prince's concubines and wives are filmed. They walk in a very stilted manner, denoting the upper class. Musical instruments are played and mock battles are performed. The warriors' costumes are well depicted: their triangular tent-type armor covers only their torso, leaving their legs and feet bare; they also wear helmets and feathers on their head. Weapons and shields are also seen. Specific locations are not given, but at one point the protection of Holland is mentioned in a title. Given the Dutch connection, the island is probably Atjeh in Sumatra or one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. It is quite possible that the people are the Achenese; the tooth filing, architecture, and weaving seem consistent with these people's customs.