First Lights – Hiri

First Lights travelled to Papua New Guinea for the country’s 50th independence anniversary, presenting Hiri, a story of seafaring, exchange and the relationships that have long connected communities across the Gulf of Papua.

Created by Papua New Guinean–Australian musician, producer and cultural practitioner Airileke Ingram, the work reinterpreted the Creation Story of Edai Siabo, a fisherman from Boera village. Guided by a sea spirit, Edai builds a Lakatoi — a large sailing canoe — and follows the laurabada, the southeast trade wind, westward across the Gulf of Papua. Trading pots for Rabia (sago), his journey becomes the first Hiri, establishing an enduring tradition of exchange and knowledge-sharing between coastal communities.

The story offered a powerful reflection on journey, reciprocity and the movement of knowledge between people, with the night sky becoming a canvas for this enduring tradition.

Artist and Narrator: Airileke Ingram
Sound Design: James Mangohig with Airileke Ingram
Animation: Tatyana Bitekhtina