Nice-a Da Banan (silent, 1930s)

This 1930s film provides a detailed glimpse into the banana trade in Fiji, showcasing the journey from plantation to market. It highlights the labor-intensive process, where native workers, trained from boyhood, cultivate bananas under the supervision of landowners. Scenes depict oxen plowing between rows of banana trees, workers trimming leaves, and carefully peeling back buds to reveal baby bananas. Emphasizing the meticulous care required, the film shows pesticide spraying to prevent insect blight, which could ruin entire crops. Once harvested green to ripen during transit, bananas are loaded onto boats and transferred to cargo ships bound for faraway markets. The film closes with a cargo ship sailing toward the horizon, underscoring the global reach of Fiji’s banana industry and the efforts of its workers.

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