Ten Canoes (Australia, 2006)

The film about the indigenous people, filled with Humour, Love and Revenge by ROLF DE HEER

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I have to write that I was surprised to see this film, not because it was from Australia, because it was about the indigenous people of Western Australia. The story is even before the Englishmen arrived there as transporters. This is not Mel Gibson Apocalypto style film, were importance given on music and camera work, nor the 10,000 BC. This is just a story, told or made in the same innocent way of the indigenous people.  So there is no cinematic visual splendour show, but just plain and unique shots.	The stranger is stopped by Ridjimiraril and sent back. Since then bad luck turns to the Ridjimiraril camp. His second wife goes missing; Ridjimiraril suspects that the stranger has taken her. One day Ridjimiraril spears a tribe, assuming that it’s the stranger who came to his camp, but its actually the stranger’brother. Now the other tribe has to settle terms for the killing, else its war. What happens to Ridjimiraril, what happens to his 2nd wife, did Yeeralparil fulfil his desire?
It’s a story within a story; there is no confusion as in Inception, its clear as a stream.  The film starts with a narration, Far.. Far.. away… by David Gulpilil, in these story there are ten aborigines who go for hunting, in those ten  one is Dayindi and his elder brother, as they goose hunt for days in the swamp, Dayindi’ brother tells him a story (the actual film) about a warrior named Ridjimiraril, who has three wives and a brother Yeeralparil. Yeeralparil has a crush on his brother young and third wife. They live in a camp, which consists of interesting characters. One day a stranger enters the camp, a different tribe.	Almost all the dialogues are indigenous, except the first narration by David.  The story is told in humour, with sorcery, revenge and illicit love. Like here, when the last man walking in the queue stops and says he can’t walk in the last as someone in the front keeps farting. Half way through the story Dayindi’ brother asks him what did you learn from this story, he replies, I learnt that you tell stories very slowly.     If you are looking fabulous shots, raving score this is not the one. This is a modest story and simple production.    The next stop of Filmbulb will be Malaysia, yes truly asia.