This digitally-restored film comes with English subtitles. KOPFJÄGER VON BORNEO (HEAD HUNTERS OF BORNEO) is an early ethnographic feature film shot in the 1930s in Indonesia. It is a half-fictional documentary. The story is based on an old local legend, enacted by natives, and involves a love story between a young woman and a young man of incompatible social classes. It’s Romeo and Juliet set among the Iban in the 1930s!
Baron Victor von Plessen (1900-1980) was a German artist and writer known for his work in Indonesia. He was a producer and writer, particularly for ethnographic films. His work often explored themes of Indonesian culture and folklore, particularly the headhunting practices of some tribes in Borneo. He was active in Indonesia for much of his career, and his work reflects this connection to the region.