NFSA Connects Ten Canoes
Students in NSW engaged in a Q&A with Ten Canoes (2006) director Rolf de Heer and Frances Djulibing from Ramingining, who played the lead female role.
Watch videos from the Q&A session below.
Rolf explains why the film alternates between black and white and colour footage
Rolf explains why casting was not about experience
Rolf describes his experiences living traditional Aboriginal life
Rolf discusses whether he thinks the film promotes human rights and social justice
Frances talks about whether she thinks the film helps non-Indigenous people to understand Indigenous culture better
Rolf describes the genesis of Ten Canoes
Frances explains how she thinks the film impacted herself and the community
Rolf explains why Ten Canoes is not considered a violent film
Rolf talks about how and why he was mindful of tribal customs and beliefs
Rolf discusses the tradition of older men having younger wives
Rolf talks about the validation the community felt they got from the film
Rolf explains how making the film impacted on his understanding of Indigenous culture
Rolf describes how he felt when he first went to Arnhem Land
Frances talks about what she thought of the script when she first read it
More to explore
Deep Dive: Rolf de Heer discusses The Tracker
In 2017 the NFSA screened The Tracker and hosted a Q&A afterwards with director Rolf de Heer, in which he spoke about the film’s influences, production and legacy.
David Gulpilil AM
David Gulpilil AM has forever changed the way Australian film represents Indigenous people and their cultural heritage.
Twelve Canoes website relaunched
Twelve Canoes paints a compelling portrait of the history, culture and place of the Yolngu people whose homeland is the Arafura Swamp of north-central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.