Christopher Owen Memorial Fund
Donación protegida
It is with sadness and deep regret that this fund needs to be created in the first place, as a means to honour the work and life of Christopher William Owen. Chris passed away peacefully in his sleep on the evening of Thursday 8th March 2018 after spending the day talking to many of his best friends and by all accounts, leaving in good spirits and maybe at what was the best time for him. Chris had been ill for a few years and had not had the quality of life or the ability to do what he loved, make films, read, inspire, direct and much more….so we hope and pray that the time was right and that he decided it was right and that his work and dedication will be remembered and that there is a legacy for that.
For those who may get to see this fund or get it forwarded to them and did not know Chris or what he did, let me give you a brief summary as that is all that can be done in this forum. Chris spent the better part of his adult working life in Papua New Guinea, arriving in the early 1970’s to work with the PNG Tourist Board as an Anthropological cinematographer. This role evolved as he moved to the Institute of PNG Studies as the full time residential film-maker and manager of the film unit and began to build his catalogue, capturing the diversity of PNG culture and custom, much of which was at risk of being lost and forgotten as the country evolved. Chris became a research fellow of the National Research Institute, then Head of the Film Department at the IPNGS as it grew. Eventually Chris became Director of the National Film Institute based in Goroka, after the demise of the Skul bilong Wokim Piksa. Chris remained in this position, continuing to shoot, direct and produce anthropological documentaries and the first serious PNG feature film, ‘Tukana – husat I asua?’. He also mentored a generation of aspiring PNG film makers and consistently ensured the NFI survived by tendering and writing and asking for funding year after year, from multiple sources around the globe. Chris was in the early stages of implementing community film as a concept, by giving every day Papua New Guineans the basic tools to shoot and edit their own personal stories and capture their own culture, just before he started to become ill. Chris moved to Australia in 2010 to be with his family and to get the medical treatment he needed. His catalogue is used in anthropological programs around the world at universities and he has received a number of life time achievement and recognition awards and awards for his documentaries. A full list of his biography and catalogue can be found at https://www.roninfilms.com.au/person/125/chris-owen.html
So accordingly, this fund has been established for a number of reasons, including to help with the costs associated with his passing, to establish a form of permanent memorial and tribute, yet to be determined, and so his friends, colleagues, well-wishers and anybody else can leave a final farewell. Chris had several wishes and paramount among them was to have ‘he lived according to his principles’ as his epitaph. He also wanted to be tied to Papua New Guinea after his passing, a country and people he loved so much and had dedicated his life work to, documenting, recording and preserving the culture. He especially wanted that tie to reflect in some form in the Highlands where he spent many years as the Director of the National Film Institute of PNG and established many strong bonds and lifelong friends. Any donations left once the memorial has been finalised will go to assist his only Grandchild Ayesha, who is about to give birth to her first child, something Chris was looking forward to being part of as a Great Grandfather.
We are open to suggestions about what form the memorial/legacy should take, whether a plaque or stone memorial and where it should be placed. I know Chris held the Kamaliki estate and village in Goroka and the people there very near and dear to his heart and he loved living in that beautiful location above the river looking over the valley, sitting and having his tea or morning coffee on the veranda. It may be that we decide to erect something in that location, so he can continue to look at that view and listen to that river and be among people who loved him in a place he held dear.
As ideas come in and we work with what we raise, we will keep everyone posted. Also, once an official date is set for a wake/remembrance gathering, we will let everyone know as early as possible if you wish to attend in person.
A big thanks to anyone who contributes to remember Christopher and ensure his legacy remains. From all of us, the last thank you to him, to Christopher….thank you for your dedication to your work, which was your passion and love and which you did with precision all the time and thank you for being you, ‘living according to your principles’. We love you and miss you.
RIP Christopher William Owen, 15 May 1944 – 09 March 2018

For those who may get to see this fund or get it forwarded to them and did not know Chris or what he did, let me give you a brief summary as that is all that can be done in this forum. Chris spent the better part of his adult working life in Papua New Guinea, arriving in the early 1970’s to work with the PNG Tourist Board as an Anthropological cinematographer. This role evolved as he moved to the Institute of PNG Studies as the full time residential film-maker and manager of the film unit and began to build his catalogue, capturing the diversity of PNG culture and custom, much of which was at risk of being lost and forgotten as the country evolved. Chris became a research fellow of the National Research Institute, then Head of the Film Department at the IPNGS as it grew. Eventually Chris became Director of the National Film Institute based in Goroka, after the demise of the Skul bilong Wokim Piksa. Chris remained in this position, continuing to shoot, direct and produce anthropological documentaries and the first serious PNG feature film, ‘Tukana – husat I asua?’. He also mentored a generation of aspiring PNG film makers and consistently ensured the NFI survived by tendering and writing and asking for funding year after year, from multiple sources around the globe. Chris was in the early stages of implementing community film as a concept, by giving every day Papua New Guineans the basic tools to shoot and edit their own personal stories and capture their own culture, just before he started to become ill. Chris moved to Australia in 2010 to be with his family and to get the medical treatment he needed. His catalogue is used in anthropological programs around the world at universities and he has received a number of life time achievement and recognition awards and awards for his documentaries. A full list of his biography and catalogue can be found at https://www.roninfilms.com.au/person/125/chris-owen.html
So accordingly, this fund has been established for a number of reasons, including to help with the costs associated with his passing, to establish a form of permanent memorial and tribute, yet to be determined, and so his friends, colleagues, well-wishers and anybody else can leave a final farewell. Chris had several wishes and paramount among them was to have ‘he lived according to his principles’ as his epitaph. He also wanted to be tied to Papua New Guinea after his passing, a country and people he loved so much and had dedicated his life work to, documenting, recording and preserving the culture. He especially wanted that tie to reflect in some form in the Highlands where he spent many years as the Director of the National Film Institute of PNG and established many strong bonds and lifelong friends. Any donations left once the memorial has been finalised will go to assist his only Grandchild Ayesha, who is about to give birth to her first child, something Chris was looking forward to being part of as a Great Grandfather.
We are open to suggestions about what form the memorial/legacy should take, whether a plaque or stone memorial and where it should be placed. I know Chris held the Kamaliki estate and village in Goroka and the people there very near and dear to his heart and he loved living in that beautiful location above the river looking over the valley, sitting and having his tea or morning coffee on the veranda. It may be that we decide to erect something in that location, so he can continue to look at that view and listen to that river and be among people who loved him in a place he held dear.
As ideas come in and we work with what we raise, we will keep everyone posted. Also, once an official date is set for a wake/remembrance gathering, we will let everyone know as early as possible if you wish to attend in person.
A big thanks to anyone who contributes to remember Christopher and ensure his legacy remains. From all of us, the last thank you to him, to Christopher….thank you for your dedication to your work, which was your passion and love and which you did with precision all the time and thank you for being you, ‘living according to your principles’. We love you and miss you.
RIP Christopher William Owen, 15 May 1944 – 09 March 2018

Organizador
Ayesha Owen
Organizador
Dunlop, ACT