Item details
Item ID
WM2-047d
Title West Papua - Mark Worth Morning Star Radio Documentary
Description Mark Worth’s West Papua documentary on 'Land of the Morning Star' is focused on the region’s history, the Morning Star flag, and Papuan self-determination. The documentary was produced as a Film Australia National Interest Program with ABC involvement.

The film traces West Papua’s colonial history, the shift to Indonesian rule, and the political struggle around independence and identity. It uses eyewitness accounts and archival footage to show how the Morning Star flag became a symbol of Papuan nationalism.

Mark Worth spent many years researching and filming in West Papua, and the documentary is described as his life’s project. Accounts about his death in 2004 often note that it came shortly after the film was announced for Australian broadcast, which has added to the documentary’s significance in West Papua advocacy circles.

The documentary is commonly dated to 2003, and it has been circulated through ABC, Film Australia, and online video platforms. A later NFSA interview with producer Janet Bell also reflects on Worth’s work and legacy.

Leaders interviewed in Land of the Morning Star — 10 unnamed Papuans featured; days after ABC screening announcement, Indonesian forces raided and killed several, displaying their bodies. While exact credits are sparse, sources confirm these prominent West Papuans appeared in his films.

Wiur Zongannou was a prominent West Papuan exile politician and independence advocate, featured as a key interviewee in Mark Worth's documentaries like The Act of No Choice and Land of the Morning Star.

This recording captures interviews and songs in the production of documentary of Encounter program of ABC Radio National featuring the man of the Morning Star, Wiur Zongannou.

Special thanks to producer Claudia Taranto and technical production by Judy Rapley, executive producer Florence Sperling.

Source: Wantok Musik Foundation

(David Bridie & Steven Gagau, April 2026)
Origination date 2003-01-01
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/WM2/047d
URL
Collector
David Bridie
Countries To view related information on a country, click its name
Language as given
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Content language(s) To view related information on a language, click its name
Dialect
Region / village West Papua Province - Regions West, Central and South Papua

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Originating university University of Sydney
Operator Jodie Kell
Data Categories historical reconstruction
Data Types Sound
Discourse type narrative
Roles Steven Gagau : data_inputter
David Bridie : consultant
Enos Gagau : data_inputter
Mark Worth : compiler
Mark Worth : consultant
Claudia Taranto : compiler
Judy Rapley : compiler
Florence Sperling : compiler
Wiur Zongannou : consultant
Wiur Zongannou : speaker
DOI 10.26278/60m8-ap56
Cite as David Bridie (collector), Steven Gagau (data_inputter), David Bridie (consultant), Enos Gagau (data_inputter), Mark Worth (compiler, consultant), Claudia Taranto (compiler), Judy Rapley (compiler), Florence Sperling (compiler), Wiur Zongannou (consultant, speaker), 2003. West Papua - Mark Worth Morning Star Radio Documentary. MPEG/WAV. WM2-047d at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.26278/60m8-ap56
Content Files (2)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
WM2-047d-001.mp3 audio/mpeg 44 MB 00:48:05.90
WM2-047d-001.wav audio/wav 1.55 GB 00:48:05.50
2 files -- 1.59 GB -- --

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Collection Information
Collection ID WM2
Collection title Wantok Musik Foundation (WMF) - Music Label Recordings of Oceania Region.
Description The Wantok Musik Foundation is an Australian-based not-for-profit Music Label that records, releases and promotes culturally infused music from Indigenous Australia, Melanesia and Oceania. The brand “Wantok Musik” is a Melanesian term that reflects talking with a common language “one talk” although in the diverse cultures of the region that may have different sounds, different beats, different instruments, the music we all share is common and singing about the same things such as our history, our lore, our education, our hurts, our joys, our injustices, our struggles, our lives, our communities and our stories. This Collection preserves rich musical talents and artists of the Oceania region where the Wantok Musik Label through album recordings and collaborative projects has fostered cross-cultural initiatives and exchange. Through music and language within the diverse cultures of the region, we hear, share and learn about entertainers, performers and artistic and creative expressions where over the years, the Wantok Musik label has recorded, released and promoted of music from First Nation Australia, Melanesia and Oceania. Wantok Musik promotes local and international profile of First Nation and world music groups based in the region by supporting and providing greater economic opportunity for artists, long-term career sustainability at the same time by managing the various activities addresses social issues with creative and culturally focused approaches.
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Languages To view related information on a language, click its name
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Data access conditions Open (subject to agreeing to PDSC access conditions)
Data access narrative
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