‘Papa Bilong Chimbu’ is must-see TV

In 1936 a young German Catholic missionary, John Nilles (1905-1993), arrived in the PNG Highlands of. There he remained for 54 years, living with the Chimbu people, learning their way of life and language (he translated the Bible into Kuman), and introducing them to his God and Western culture.

Father Nilles’ work reached beyond his role as a missionary. A trained anthropologist, he envisioned a way to marry Chimbu beliefs with those of Christianity. As a linguist, author, politician and citizen of PNG he became a local leader and a true Chimbu. Late in his life, he unexpectedly left PNG for Germany and there he died. But the Chimbu people claim his body should be returned and buried amongst them.

Through Nilles’ extraordinary archive of photos, diaries and letters, as well as interviews with those who knew him, filmmaker Verena Thomas has compiled a portrait of this fascinating man. Her award-winning documentary will be screened on ABC-TV tomorrow night [see below].

John Nilles was well known to many readers of ASOPA PEOPLE. Leo Carroll, who gave me the heads up about the TV program, mentioned that Nilles’ had baptised his daughter Lisa at the Anugl Mission church. For many of us, Papa Bilong Chimbu is a must-see television event.

‘Papa Bilong Chimbu’, Compass, ABC 1, Sunday 16 March, 10.15 pm