Metro Australia — January 2018

(WallPaper) #1
http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195 • 83

IRULQVWDQFHtVXSSRUWHGE\WKH0,))3UHPLHUH)XQGDQG}IHD
WXULQJDQXQOLNHO\FROODERUDWLRQZLWKVLQJHUVRQJZULWHU*RW\H



  • is a stirring portrayal of Yolngu elder and yidaki (didjeridu)
    SOD\HU'MDOXXUUXZLZLpVHIIRUWVWRSURWHFWKLVFODQpVVRQJOLQHV
    6WUXQLQpVĺOPZDVDOVRDFFRPSDQLHGE\DQLPPHUVLYHYLUWXDO
    reality expansion entitled 'TMSENQSGD8HC@JH %HQ6PLWK 
    In fact, more broadly, there was a strong shift in how and
    ZKHUHĺOPVZHUHVFUHHQHGDW0,))tDQGWKLVVWUDWHJ\
    worked particularly well to showcase impressive musical
    VFRUHVVXFKDVWKRVHRISV\FKHGHOLFVFLĺ%@MS@RSHB/K@MDS
    5HQÆ/DORX[ DQGH[SHULPHQWDOVFLHQFHĺOPV"KNBJVNQJ
    .BD@M 5DOSK+HLQVRKQ 'DQLHO2SLW] DQG3GD,@M
    EQNLSGDŭ#HLDMRHNMR 7DNDVKL6KLPL]X ,QWKHFDVHRI
    3GD2NMF
    DDODQRLWVSUHPLHUHLQFOXGHGD4 $ZLWK6HQDQG
    WKHĺOPpVSURGXFHUVDVZHOODVDSHUIRUPDQFHE\WKHFKRLUZKR
    KDGĻRZQGRZQWR0HOERXUQHHVSHFLDOO\IRUWKHHYHQW7KLV
    ZDVIROORZHGWKHQH[WGD\E\DQLQHW\PLQXWHFRQFHUWKHOGLQ
    DVVRFLDWLRQZLWKWKH0HOERXUQH5HFLWDO&HQWUH
    The affective potential of this coupling of music and cinema
    ZDVEURXJKWWRWKHIRUHDW0,))pVFORVLQJQLJKWJDOD3GD
    #NBTLDMS@QXNE#Qŭ&8TMTOHMFTR+HED, Paul Williams’ highly
    DQWLFLSDWHGĺOPRQWKHUHFHQWO\GHFHDVHG,QGLJHQRXVPXVLFLDQ
    of the title, premiered across three different theatres, with each
    introduced by special guests including members of Yunupingu’s
    IDPLO\DVZHOODV0DUNURVHDQG0LFKDHO+RKQHQIURP6NLQQ\ĺVK
    0XVLF7KHSDVVLQJRIWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDOO\UHQRZQHGĺJXUHtWKH
    most commercially successful Aboriginal artist to date^2 – high
    lighted the importance of acknowledging his work in the public
    VSKHUHZKLOH}DOVR}UHVSHFWLQJ$ERULJLQDOPRXUQLQJWUDGLWLRQV
    ZKLFKSUHYHQWWKH}GHSLFWLRQRIGHFHDVHGSHRSOH:KLOH:LOOLDPVp
    documentary was announced well before its subject’s death
    RQ}-XO\LQWKHZHHNVIROORZLQJLWEHFDPHXQFOHDUZKHWKHU
    the festival would hold the screening. The decision to proceed
    was made after careful consultation with Yunupingu’s family
    DQGDGYLFHIURPVHQLRU
    XPDWMHOGHU'DYLG'MXQJD'MXQJD
    <XQXSLQJX7KHIHVWLYDOWKHQGRQDWHG}SHUFHQWRIWKHWLFNHW
    UHYHQXHDFURVVWKHVROGRXWHYHQWVWRDIXQGVXSSRUWLQJ\RXQJ
    Indigenous people living in remote communities.
    A beautiful elegy for a very private man, and a testament
    to the powerful bonds of his family and community, Williams’
    ĺOPLVDFROODERUDWLYHZRUNKDYLQJEHHQFRSURGXFHGE\
    Yunupingu himself. It provides fascinating insights into his
    HDUO\ZRUNZLWK6NLQQ\ĺVK0XVLFDQGIROORZVWKHSURJUHVVLRQ
    RIKLVFDUHHUDQGLQWHUQDWLRQDOWRXUV6HQKHUVHOIWRXUHGZLWK
    KLPIRUVHYHUDO\HDUVIROORZLQJWKHUHOHDVHLQRIKLVĺUVW
    solo album, &TQQTLTK, a complex and powerful debut that
    garnered widespread critical acclaim.^4 'XULQJWKHWRXU6HQ
    created and operated impressive visual projections that ac
    companied Yunupingu’s live performances, and she collected
    exclusive footage and interviews with his family for her short
    documentary 2SNQHDR3GQNTFG2NMFUHOHDVHGLQ6HQ
    later worked as the associate producer and cinematographer
    for the ABC’s 2010 TRSQ@KH@M2SNQXSURĺOHRQ<XQXSLQJX
    ‘You’re the Voice’.
    In a similar way, Williams’ documentary features many
    interviews with family members and musical collaborators,
    emphasising the networks of support and creative partner
    VKLSVWKDWXQGHUVFRUHG<XQXSLQJXpVVXFFHVV7KHVLJQLĺFDQFH
    RIWKHVHQHWZRUNVLVSDUWLFXODUO\DSSDUHQWLQWKHEHKLQGWKH
    VFHQHVIRRWDJHRIKLVGXHWZLWK6WLQJRQWKH)UHQFKPXVLF
    show Taratata in 2009. In the scene, Yunupingu has been
    DVNHGWRSHUIRUP6WLQJpVKLWo(YHU\%UHDWK<RX7DNHpLQWKH
    *XPDWMODQJXDJH+RZHYHUKHLVXQIDPLOLDUZLWKWKHVRQJ


Sen’s film quite literally gives
voice to these hymns and
stories. If songs allow these
women to preserve and pass
on their knowledge, culture
and language, then The Song
Keepers – and the filmmaking
tradition more generally – is a
valuable extension of this aim.

This spread, clockwise from left: The choir
PERFORMING0UNTJINATHEWOMENPREPARETOSING
Free download pdf