NFSA Restores: Tukana – Teaching the young

Tukana – Husat I Asua (Who’s to Blame) tells the story of Tukana (Albert Toro), a university dropout who returns to his village in Buka Passage, Bougainville. His parents are disappointed that he won't graduate; they want him to marry Josephine, a local schoolteacher, and settle down. Instead, Tukana takes off for Panguna, where he becomes a driver for Bougainville Copper. 

In this scene, Tukana's father (Timothy Hamanin) and his friends from the village lament that young people only 'fool around' and show no interest in learning the centuries-old art of canoe-making. When Tukana’s father confesses to feeling pushed aside by his son and his peers, the moment lands as a powerful counterpoint to Tukana’s earlier frustration about being stifled by his elders. Though most of the cast were non-professionals, Hamanin brought depth from his experience in traditional tumbuna (ancestor) plays. The scene unfolds with quiet grace, its unforced rhythm echoing the painting of the boat and quietly underscoring the men's point about maintaining traditional skills and customs.

Widely regarded as Papua New Guinea’s most important feature film, Tukana – Husat I Asua (1982) was born from a groundbreaking collaboration between Australian director Chris Owen – a driving force behind the creation of the National Film Institute (NFI) in Goroka – and Albert Toro, the trailblazing writer, director, actor and MP hailed as the father of PNG cinema. 

Now digitally restored by the NFSA in partnership with Spectrum Films, Tukana has been gifted to the NFI to mark 50 years of Papua New Guinea’s independence in 2025. The restoration is part of a four-year co-design project with the NFI, supported by the Australian Government’s International Cultural Diplomacy and Arts Fund – helping preserve and give access to PNG’s rich film heritage.

Watch another clip from NFSA Restores: Tukana