The rituals and philosophies of indigenous non-Western cultures recur throughout Viola's work. In 1976, he travelled to the Solomon Islands with portable color video equipment, which was then a new technology. The first of two "visionary documentaries" produced during his two-month stay, Memories of Ancestral Power centers on the cult leader Moro and his efforts to retain ancient traditions in the face of increasing Western influence. In this collaboration of Viola, Moro, and his followers, much of the structure and content of the recordings were determined by the subjects themselves. Moro explains his vision during the course of a visit to the House of Memories and other sacred sites in the village.

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