A story within a story. In Australia’s Northern Territory, a man tells us one of the stories of his people and his land. It’s a story of an older man, Minygululu, who has three wives and realizes that his younger brother Dayindi may try to steal away the youngest wife. So, over a few days and several trips to hunt and gather, Minygululu tells Dayindi a story set in the time of their ancestors when a stranger came to the village and disrupted the lives of a serious man named Ridjimiraril, his three wives, and his younger brother Yeeralparil who had no wife and liked to visit his youngest sister-in-law. Through stories, can values be taught and balance achieved? —IMDb
Rolf de Heer (born 4 May 1951 in Heemskerk, North Holland) is a Dutch film director, writer and producer living in Australia. De Heer was born in Heemskerk in The Netherlands but migrated to Sydney when he was eight years old. He attended the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney. His company is called Vertigo Productions and is based in Adelaide. De Heer primarily makes alternative or arthouse films. According to the jacket notes of the videotape, de Heer holds the honor of co-producing and directing the only motion picture, Dingo, in which the jazz legend Miles Davis appears as an actor. Miles Davis collaborated with Michel Legrand on the score. He is the subject of the book “Dutch Tilt, Aussie Auteur: The Films of Rolf de Heer” (Saarbrücken: VDM, 2009) by D. Bruno Starrs. —Wikipedia
Rolf de Heer has sensitively captured Aboriginal customs and traditional lifestyle within the framework of the magnificent Australian landscape. This is the first feature length film entirely in Aboriginal languages and David Gulpilil skilfully narrates the story with subtle humour and in accordance with the time honoured oral tradition. Well worth watching!!
I really enjoyed this film, and it got me thinking: are there any good movies about pre-Columbian American Indians? Apocalypto doesn't count.
most seem to be set during the arrival of Columbus, for example The Last Of The Mohicans and The New World
[Ten Canoes takes place long ago. The contents of this review pertain to Aboriginal life as it was then, before any contact with non-Aboriginal peoples. I’m not an anthropologist, so the information… read review
great great movie, devastatingly beautiful cinematography, one of the best i’ve ever seen, for real, plus the natural beauty of the landscape itself makes this movie totally pleasing to the eye… read review
