Today was an interesting day and I would say definitely fate.  I forgot I was to go to the film called the Sapphires tonight.  I went for a long walk and through interesting circumstances arrived home around 5pm.  Then checked my emails which I never do at this time and found an email from another friend showing a Gandhi movie tomorrow night.  I thought I was going to the Sapphires movie tomorrow night but when I rang my friend to tell her of the clash, turns out it was tonight.  I had completely forgotten.  The timing was perfect. I had enough time to go to the theatre.  I had no idea what the film was about but was happily surprised to learn it was about indigenous singers who had become famous singing to the soldiers in Vietnam.  I went through many emotions seeing the racism of the 1950’s and the young indigenous girls with so much talent and spunk (aliveness). They were fated to meet this Irish guy who was a muscian MC’g a singing contest. The girls were clearly the talented ones but another white girl was awarded the contest. To his credit he called it rigged and he was sacked. Then one of the indigenous girls got him to read a newspaper clipping which indicated their were auditions for performers to go to Vietnam. They had no idea about war zones, these were country girls. They got him to read it citing they couldn’t read (untrue). They told him it was $30 per week to go (each I am assuming). He was broke and he decided to manage them. Then he had to convince their parents. The girls together with their fair Melbourne based cousin went for the audition and were sent to Vietnam. They sung soul songs copying some of the Supremes songs and were just fantastic.  I had tears in my eyes as my heart went to them in goodwill as I love to see Indigenous people find their light.  Particularly given their own hardship. I’ve always loved them and felt priviledged to share a continent with the oldest civilisation on earth.  I remember seeing some indigenous people in Alice Springs sitting on the ground and just feeling how different they were and how silent. More introverted than european Australians. They have been through much upheaval and what I would term displaced in their own country as western culture dominated and affected their traditional life. I think the right words would be devastated their traditional life. Europeans took them to Christian missions and tried to domesticate them, then their was a White Australia policy which sought to commit genocide through interbreeding and removal of children to white families and when that failed they lived in their own communities but many became dependent on welfare. Today some communities have violence and drug issues as they try to find their identity and find themselves lost. I did learn of a tribe that decided to live their traditional life outside of Mount Isa, I was pleased to learn of this. In addition, european Australians have sought to identify with indigenous people by promoting their art work as the brand name for Australia. So many people have profited from indigenous art work without redistributing the profits to the indigenous people nor any understanding of the deep mystical dimension to their art.  Instead many buy indigenous artas a fashion statement or investment. 

Watching the film I felt joy rising at their success and would like to hear more about the indigenous people of this country. I was never taught about the Sapphires at school and would like to know who they are and what they love.  As I watched the film I could see myself clowning in places (oh yes for those who don’t know I am a clown) where people feel sad and need cheering up.  The girls did this singing for the troops.  I resonated with that.

What was very interesting about tonight was that my friend and I decided to head to the pub for a cuppa and stood next to indigenous people at the bar.  I asked this woman where the Yorta Yorta people came from.  I found out now they are from Victoria.  If you ever look at an indigenous map the whole country was mapped out with tribal lands, after occupation it was renamed English names. This lady felt she knew me but that is unlikely as I haven’t been in Perth that long and tend not to go out as I am doing my own thing. She then invited myself and my friend to join them.  I felt so happy.  One of the ladies was a indigenous singer, her name was Gina Williams, I’d never heard of her but I think my friend had. Here is here website http://www.ginawilliams.com/ The other woman was a film director who told me she was well connected.  So I found myself in the company of some talented indigenous women. The other woman sitting with us had a famous grandmother whom my friend was aware of.  I was somewhat ignorant but felt appreciative to sit and learn from them. In my heart I want to see us all come together, to bridge the divide and help each other reach our full potential.  I remember when I was clowning in Chicago I invited a young guy from an art school to clown with me. I have a nice photo of him and the African American security guard, arms around each other. Secretly I was happy. I love the feeling of connecting people.

I felt inspired by the film that healing would occur.  Both european Australians and indigenous people do not know each other and have not been informed fully about the truth of the past. So I feel truth will emerge as indigenous people find their voice and express their experience. I feel the indigenous women are very strong. Tonight was great, I was even given the contact of an indigenous clown.  So I was wrapped.  I will ring him and invite him out clowning.  I had years ago met an indigenous woman who was the first indigenous research fellow at a university, she told me she had always wanted to be a clown.  Interestingly enough she loved Gandhi.  We had much in common. We both met at a conference on reconciliation and were both presenting and sharing a platform at the University of Melbourne.  I was speaking about peace education and clowning.  Years later we met again and I said we should go out clowning and I could dress in black and she could dress in white, or half white/half black to show people we are having fun together.  I think she chickened out, but she did desire to do it.  Who knows maybe I find an indigenous person who wants to give it a go. I have been thinking of that lately. I do feel called to assist with my skills in peace making.  Who knows maybe we bring clowns from all backgrounds together.  Wouldn’t that be fun. We are same same but different as the Thai’s say which means unity in diversity. That is the lesson for humanity to not try and make people ‘like us’ or be with those ‘like us’ but to embrace diversity as the reality of life on this planet, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love differences, that is how I learn and define myself and visa versa.

Here is an article about the success of indigenous artists in the film industry.  The next blog is on the story of the Spphires.   A true story and very inspiring. I raise my indigenous flag in solidarity.

Australian Aboriginal films light up global screen with The Sapphires at Cannes Film Festival

World premiere at CAnnes Film Festival … ‘The Sapphires’ stars Jessica Mauboy and Deborah Mailman. Picture: Anthony Reginato Source: The Daily Telegraph

AUSTRALIANS are enjoying a high profile at Cannes this year, but beyond the star power of Nicole Kidman and Kylie Minogue, the film world will be watching the ground-breaking work of Aboriginal artists.

Indigenous stories have breathed new life into the film scene Down Under, with “The Sapphires” the latest to come to international attention with a screening in official selection at the French festival that kicks off Wednesday.

Actor Deborah Mailman, who stars in the feel-good feature about an all-girl singing group plucked from a remote Aboriginal community to play for Australian troops serving in Vietnam, is delighted with the response.

“Yes, it’s huge. It’s a really great acknowledgement,” she told AFP at the launch of Sydney‘s Film Festival, just days before jetting out for Europe.

 

 

“There’s obviously something in the film that they went, ‘Yeah, we want this, and we want it on the world stage’. So it’s wonderful that that’s been recognised. And we are very proud of this film, no matter what.”

Mailman is a household name in Australia for her many television roles and appearances in films such as the musical comedy “Bran Nue Dae” and the historical drama “Rabbit Proof Fence”, starring Kenneth Branagh.

But the 39-year-old, who in 1998 beat Cate Blanchett and Rachel Griffiths for the Australian Film Institute award for best actress, is still excited about heading to Cannes for the first time.

“My head, everything is still catching up with the idea of it,” she said.

From the 1980s film “Crocodile Dundee” about a knife-wielding bushman to Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 sweeping romantic epic “Australia”, Australian films have long featured Aboriginal characters.

But a batch of films being created by indigenous artists is reinvigorating the industry, and in 2009 “Samson and Delilah”, a heartbreaking love story set in a remote indigenous community, won the Camera d’Or at Cannes.

Australians will have a strong influence in France again this year, with Kidman starring in “The Paperboy” by US director Lee Daniels as well as Philip Kaufman’s “Hemingway and Gellhorn”, which will be shown out of competition.

Singer Kylie Minogue stars opposite Eva Mendes in “Holy Motors” by Leos Carax, and two Australian directors Andrew Dominik (“Killing Them Softly”) and John Hillcoat (“Lawless”) are competing for the top Palme d’Or prize.

Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland, whose 2004 debut feature “Somersault” was shown in Cannes, said the indigenous input is part of the reason that Australian film is performing so well.

“The issues that everybody is going through are international issues — about people not going to the cinema as much, and also the amount of money that is put into the blockbusters as promotion so the smaller arthouse films sometimes slip away.

“But I would say that the industry in Australia at the moment seems quite robust and what I am really interested in is the diversity, and the strength of the indigenous work.”

Shortland, whose latest work “Lore” is a German-language film shot entirely in Europe and set at the end of the war in 1945, is pleased about the success of “The Sapphires”.

“It’s fantastic for all of us to be represented in an international market,” she said.

Queensland-born Mailman, who grew up in the isolated mining town of Mount Isa, is proud of her work with indigenous artists, including a new movie about a landmark land rights case “Mabo” which is premiering at the Sydney festival.

“There’s nothing better than working with my mob. And I mean that from my heart,” she said. “It’s great to be telling a story that’s from us, that’s been directed by us, and that is telling our stories.”

She said it was hard to put a label on the work coming out now.

“That’s a great thing — you can’t define it. You’re getting all these directors who have been working for years… suddenly finding their particular story-telling skills.

“I think what you see is people coming into their own craft. Which is where indigenous film may be heading.”