Spirits of the yellow leaves

Filmed mainly during the AMNH Weaver Thailand Expedition, 1953-1954. The opening footage of this film was shot by Thomas L. Goodman (a New York-based topographer) in 1965, and was added to the original footage to make the film universally appealing. The scenes shown here contrast traditional and modern Bangkok, and serve as a reference point: following this the film moves on to a study of the mysterious Phi Thong Luang (i.e. Phi Tong Luang) people filmed during the AMNH Weaver Thailand Expedition. The Bangkok sequence includes shots of modern buildings and the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) with close-ups of its Buddhas, bicycle rickshaws, elephants moving logs, shop owners selling Thai silk, as well as market boats (hangyao) selling produce, traffic, pollution, the River Chao Phraya, silversmiths at work, and a parasol factory. After the opening sequence in Bangkok, the footage switches to the original film, which was shot in 1953-1954 by Goodman and the expedition leader, Robert W. Weaver, during their travels to some of the smaller villages in the hills of Thailand. In the villages of the Lu and Kui, monks are shown sawing wood to construct a new wat (temple). After a view of a haven for weary travelers called a sala, women are filmed as they thresh, winnow, and pound rice in long wooden troughs. They are also shown washing clothes and bathing in the Khwae Noi River. A man bathes his pet monkey, which does not appear to be enjoying the process. A school is depicted where children are filmed studying and competing in relay races. Boys are shown swimming, and one child fetches water in two buckets carried on a pole across his shoulders. In a brief scene filmed in a Yao village, ponies with wooden saddlebags are shown loaded with supplies. The next footage was filmed in the hillside village of the Karen and features scenes of thatched roof houses built on stilts, as well as some stables. The native attire consists of red and black cloth fashioned into kimono-type tops worn over pants; turbans complete the ensemble. No close-up footage was taken, which makes further identification difficult. The operation of an animal-spearing trap is demonstrated for the camera, whereupon the film switches location. The expedition's next visit is with the Miao people, whose village is constructed on a burned-off section of a hillside. A primitive grinding mill is shown, along with footage of livestock (fowl, pigs, horses) moving about. In the scene that follows, a young girl is filmed in a ceremonial costume, which consists of a green silk sheath paired with blue pants. Around her neck she wears many colorful scarves with silver coins attached, and a black, white, and red headdress. In Goodman's notes, he claims the ornamental silver was obtained through the sale of opium, which was the main industry of the Miao villagers. Goodman's notes also state that he edited the sequences in this segment from footage shot in several villages, making it extremely difficult for the viewer to make a definitive identification of the villagers appearing in a given scene. The villagers mentioned are: Kui, Karen, Lu, Soai, Mon, Yao, Khorat, and Miao. As the title implies, the main emphasis of the film is on the Phi Thong Luang, known as Spirits of the Yellow Leaves. A people shrouded in mystery, even to their fellow countrymen, they are forest nomads on the verge of extinction. The group that the expedition staff was lucky enough to encounter were the only known members of the tribe. This small band consisted of six men, one woman and a child. Melancholy pervades Weaver's portrait of a people who wandered about, seeking others of their kind, until tigers and illness decimated their numbers. The expedition staff treated two men suffering from malaria and the woman, who was covered with yaws. According to Weaver and Goodman, who stayed among them for ten days, these people knew no legends, dances, or games. The staff found that the Phi Thong Luang rarely spoke and never smiled. The film records the gathering of wild yams and crabs, as well as the construction of the tribal bamboo lean-to. This footage also shows the collecting of materials, weaving of floor mats, and the building of a bamboo platform to hold food offerings. The most important element in this segment is the Phi Thong Luang's spear-cleansing ceremony. If touched by anyone other than their owner, these nineto ten-foot long spears are considered to be contaminated by spirits who can misdirect them away from their targets. These spirits must therefore be appeased. The expedition staff provided a pig and prevailed upon the clan to enact the sacrificial ceremony on camera. After the pig is killed its blood is given to the clan elder, who wipes it across the spear-head as he directs incantations toward the spear's spirit. The pig is then dismembered, and each man revolves a piece of meat first over the child's head as an initiation to the spirit world, and then over his own head, inviting the spirits to feast. The meat is partially cooked over a fire, and then placed on bamboo platforms for the spirits to feast on overnight. The tribe consumes what is left in the morning. Because it records the life of this little-known tribe and all evidence points to the subsequent extinction of the Phi Thong Luang., this film is extremely valuable. There is another print of this film in the collection; it lacks the 1965 Bangkok footage, and a few scenes of Miao village life.