The documentary governs how an audience views the natives and tourists, in turn, influencing the ideas and conceptions of the patrons. This film raises interesting questions concerning authority within encounters between cultures. Cannibal Tours can be understood as a commentary on the ethnographic filming process itself, as the filmmaker probes both sides of this cultural divide for information about the beliefs and perspectives of each group. When the westerners speak about themselves and the natives on-camera, it is as if the filmmaker were not there at all; they are used to the idea of cameras, of watching eyes on them. They socialize among one another and “at” the camera with an obvious confidence, underscoring their sense of authority relative to the natives. They obviously believe themselves to be aligned with the camera and behind cameras in general, always peering in at these other strange and exotic people. But when we see the Iatmul speaking, we notice that they are communicating with O’Rourke, past the camera. The important cultural distinction lies between the tourists on the one side, and O’Rourke and the Iatmul on the other. For the westerners, the camera occupies the space among them; they are used to being photographed. But at the same time, they are positioned with O’Rourke, watching the camera shoot the “other.” Power lies in the hands of O’Rourke, as it is his choice as to how interactions between natives and westerners are presented.

Foucault applies the panopticon’s significance to the societal conditions within a paradigm. Living within a panoptic society destroys the Enlightenment’s ultimate ideal of the autonomous self. One whom is under absolute surveillance must conform to the pleasing of the “watcher.” The Iatmul natives are found performing lost traditional rituals for the westerners pleasing. It is ironic to note that, European missionaries destroyed these traditional practices

Some topics in this essay:
Cannibal Tours, Jeremy Bentham, O’Rourke Iatmul, Papua Guinea, Foucault French, , penoptic society, cannibal tours, Iatmul Indians, social control, tourists influencing ideas, influencing ideas conceptions, watchful eye, influencing ideas, tourists influencing, conceptions patrons, ideas conceptions patrons, natives tourists, power” foucault, tied episteme,