Precious Herbs

Directed by André de la Varre

Documentary from 1937 filmed in the small Indonesian West Java town of Malabar. Follows the entire process of tea manufacturing from being grown and harvested in the fields, ground and processed in the factory, and eventually shipped out to countries around the world. Excellent footage of Indonesian men and women working in fields and factories, being paid meager wages by Caucasian superiors, and the inner-workings of a factory. Great shot of an ocean liner passenger sitting in a deckchair relaxing over a cup of tea.