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Rocky McKenzie is seen during the production of the film 'Bran Nue Dae in Broome, Western Australia - Source: Reuters
Australia's indigenous films have come of age with a series of
box office successes for movies depicting not only the harsh
reality of life for disadvantaged Aborigines but also their comic
streak and rich culture.
Bran Nue Dae, a comic coming of age tale, took $3.3 million at the
Australian box office during its first week in January and has
received widespread acclaim at the Sundance and Toronto film
festivals.
"To be at each of those film festivals is unprecedented," said
director Rachel Perkins, who also screened her film at the Berlin
film festival.
"It's a badge of honour in itself, so we are very proud of
that."
"There are a lot of filmmakers that have realised that there are
great stories to be told that come from the indigenous world. It's
the first time that we've had something mainstream and comic and so
it's managed to cut through," she added.
"I hope that it becomes another voice in the conversation about
what Australia is about. Because, ultimately, cinema reflects the
stories of a people and a country and there are many voices in
Australia and Bran Nue Dae is one of them."
Bran Nue Dae has broken out of art-house cinemas to be screened in
mainstream movie complexes and heralds a shift in Australian
cinema, say the country's film critics.
Sydney Morning Herald newspaper film critic Sandra Hall says Bran
Nue Dae may encourage other Australian filmmakers to use a light
touch in telling aboriginal stories.
Australia's disadvantaged 460,000 Aborigines make up about two
percent of the population.
They have a 17-year lower life expectancy than other Australians
and suffer higher rates of unemployment, imprisonment, domestic
abuse and substance abuse.
Diverse indigenous stories
Bran Nue Dae is based on the hit 1990 play by Jimmy Chi about a
teenage boy's search for his aboriginal identity and tracks his
comic journey from the city to his outback home to meet a
girl.
Director Perkins said she was drawn to the story because of, its
cheekiness and its humour and its subversive undertone.
Bran Nue Dae is in the same whacky, comic genre as internationally
successful Australian movies Priscilla Queen of the Desert and
Muriel's Wedding, she added.
The film reportedly took more than $6.4 million in three weeks,
putting it in the top 50 Australian films of all time at the local
box office, says Inside Film.
Ernie Dingo, one of Australia's leading aboriginal actors and a
star in Bran Nue Dae, says the recent line of indigenous films,
which also include Stoner Bros, Samson and Delilah and 10 Canoes,
have appealed to a broader, more receptive audience.
"For those who like something different, that like something
Australiana, they'll find the beauty in it," Dingo said.
"It's no Ben Hur and it's no Avatar, it's just a fun movie, a happy
go lucky movie that's made in Western Australia on a small budget,
but with big prospects," he said.
Samson and Delilah, a story about Aboriginal love set in the
outback amidst drug and alcohol abuse, won many awards at home,
grossed $4.1 million at the Australian box office in 2009 and was
shortlisted for best foreign language Oscar.
"Each film is a different style, with a different story to tell, to
a different audience. It's great to have that diversity," said
Dingo.
