Smoke

For many years, filmmaker Roy Villevoye has been on friendly terms with a number of Asmat people living in the Indonesian province of Papua – one of the few peoples to still live as traditional hunter-gatherers. One of them is his very good friend Ndo, who went blind as a young boy. Villevoye, who has made several films about his experiences among the Asmat, follows Ndo as he undergoes an eye operation in Germany. Ndo's cousin Omomá accompanies him on the trip. Ndo has great expectations of Western medicine, while Omomá is mainly pleased with the chainsaw he is able to buy in the Netherlands. Despite their hopefulness, the account of their adventure also contains moments of disillusionment. Smoke, Villevoye's most personal film to date on his relationship with the Asmat, deals with hope and loss, and the confusion that arises when life takes an unexpected turn. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)