The authentic Aboriginal voice in Rolf de Heer's "Ten Canoes"
(2007) The authentic Aboriginal voice in Rolf de Heer's "Ten Canoes". Reconstruction: Studies in contemporary culture 7(3).
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Abstract
By privileging Aboriginal language, Aboriginal-accented narration and the Aboriginal style of story-telling ("cascading repetition narration") in "Ten Canoes", writer, co-director and co-producer Rolf de Heer has made a film promoting indigenous Australian pride. He portrays the 'magpie goose people' of Arnhem Land as empowered and in control of their language, their culture and their lives, rather than conforming with the frequent media presentation of Aboriginals as passive victims of colonial maltreatment and disrespect. An era of idyllic well-being preceding white settlement of Australia can be imagined, and de Heer convincingly takes the viewer back to that black and white time of a thousand years ago – and suggests an even earlier more rapturous and colourful Dreamtime. In doing so, unlike other 'Aboriginal' films, he tells an authentic Aboriginal story in an authentic Aboriginal manner.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Keywords: | "Ten Canoes"; Rolf de Heer; cascading repetition narration |
| Subjects: | 410000 The Arts > 410300 Cinema, Electronic Arts and Multimedia > 410301 Film and Video 410000 The Arts 410000 The Arts > 410300 Cinema, Electronic Arts and Multimedia > 410302 Cinema Studies 410000 The Arts > 410300 Cinema, Electronic Arts and Multimedia |
| ID Code: | 9366 |
| Deposited By: | Free, Pat |
| Deposited On: | 10 September 2007 |
| Alternative Locations: | http://reconstruction.eserver.org/073/starrs.shtml |
| Copyright Owner: | Copyright 2007 D. Bruno Starrs |