"Ten Canoes" is a must-see Australian movie (you can rent it from Netflix), especially for artists who are devising theater and media projects with communities. From the Vertigo Productions Web site:

"The film is unique in that it is the first feature film to be shot entirely in Aboriginal language (predominantly Ganalbingu), and it is set both in the past (centuries ago, before the coming of white people to Australia) and in the Ganalbingu mythical past.

"It is a tragi-comedy, a cautionary tale of love, lust and revenge gone wrong that, incidental to its central story line, also explores something of the "old ways".

"The film is directed by Rolf de Heer and features the son of David Gulpilil in one of the lead roles: twenty-two year-old Jamie Gulpilil, whose traditional lands fall within the Arafura Swamp area.

"The entire cast are people indigenous to the swamp region, mainly Ganalbingu and related clans, who are also responsible for the making of all the traditional artefacts needed for the film, such as the swamp-specific bark canoes, the spears and other weaponry and the dwellings. Indigenous people from the area are involved at most levels of the production, from input into and editorial control of the script to the casting and selection of locations."

Both the Vertigo Web site and the film's official Web site offer numerous study-guide and other materials.

Vertigo
Ten Canoes

   

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