Ten Canoes

From a far away land, Ten Canoes is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. This groundbreaking film is the first Australian feature film completely filmed in the indigenous Aboriginal language. Set a thousand years ago, well before the arrival of the Europeans, it is the season of goose egg gathering. Ten men, led by the tribe’s elder, head into the forest to harvest barks for canoe making. Sensing the need to council one of the younger men when he flirts with his brother’s wife, the elder tells them a mythical story about consequences. This lush, exotic film was inspired by a photograph shown to the director. From this – an image of native men in their bark canoes on the Arafura swamp – the fascinating tale of customs, rituals, lust, jealously, betrayal and revenge evolved. It is peopled by characters that are unforgettable and absolutely loveable – proving that some stories speak to all people, in any time. With subtitles. (Peter Djigirr and Rolf de Heer; Australia; 2006; 90 min)