Title: Papua New Guinea’s Most Expensive Film ‘Mussau: The First Song’ Wraps URL Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/papua-new-guinea-most-expensive-film-mussau-first-song-wraps-1236942202/ Published Time: 2026-11-07T23:58:45+00:00 Markdown Content: 1. [Home](https://variety.com/) 2. [Film](https://variety.com/v/film/) 3. [News](https://variety.com/c/news/) ## Papua New Guinea’s Most Expensive Film, ‘Mussau: The First Song,’ Wraps Shoot, Unveils First Looks (EXCLUSIVE) Indian filmmaker Bijukumar Damodaran directs the $4.5 million period drama, shot on remote Mussau Island and in Goroka, which is eyeing a 2027 festival premiere.  NAFA Productions [Papua New Guinea](https://variety.com/t/papua-new-guinea/)’s most expensive film to date, the $4.5 million historical drama “[Mussau: The First Song](https://variety.com/t/mussau-the-first-song/),” has wrapped principal photography after a 40-day shoot across two provinces.
Filming took place on Mussau Island in New Ireland Province and in Goroka, in Eastern Highlands Province. PNG-based producer NAFA Productions celebrated the wrap at a Thanksgiving event in Port Moresby on Saturday.
Government figures at the event included Belden Norman Namah, Minister for Arts, Culture and Tourism; Chief Secretary Ivan Pomaleu; and Chief Censor Jim Abani. ## Related Stories [](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/taylor-swift-la-bola-negra-nominees-hollywood-music-in-media-awards-1236936278/) Indian director [Bijukumar Damodaran](https://variety.com/t/bijukumar-damodaran/), a three-time Indian National Film Award winner, is at the helm.
Parul Agrawal produces, and Noelene Taula Wunum is executive producer. Inspired by a true story and set in the 1930s, the film centers on Taula Livovoa, a young islander who walks away from tribal violence and takes up a faith that is new to him.
His choice sets off a sweeping social change that the producers rank among the South Pacific’s most remarkable.  “Mussau: The First Song”NAFA Productions The dialogue is in six languages: Mussau, Emirau, Agarabi, Gadsup, Tok Pisin and English.
Some of them are indigenous languages with small numbers of speakers that are at risk of dying out. The producers present the film as a way to protect the country’s linguistic and cultural heritage and bring it to a global audience.