Film won't open indigenous floodgates (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Film won't open indigenous floodgates

By Jonathon Moran
December 08, 2006 01:28pm
Article from: AAP
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,20893633-5005361,00.html#

TEN Canoes may have won best picture at this year's AFI awards but don't
expect a flood of indigenous language films in Australian cinemas, warns
the movie's director Rolf de Heer.

Australia's first indigenous language feature film cleaned up at the
Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards yesterday, scooping best film
and best direction.

But de Heer said today: "I don't think there will be a flood of
indigenous language films.

"I hope there will be some more but I don't think this will open the
floodgates or anything like that."

Ten Canoes beat Candy, Jindabyne and Kenny to take Australia's top film
honour.

De Heer and Peter Djigirr won best direction, and the film, shot in
remote Arnhem land, also took home best original screenplay, best
cinematography, best editing and best sound.

De Heer also received the Byron Kennedy Award for his contribution to
Australian filmmaking, while Ten Canoes cinematographer Ian Jones was
honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

"My voice is a bit croaky and the legs are a bit tired but I'm okay," de
Heer said today after just three hours' sleep.

Starring Jamie Gulpilil and Frances Djulibing, the comedy was filmed
predominantly in the Ganalbingu language.

"They were really utterly delighted," de Heer said of the film's
indigenous cast and crew.

"To them it is another step ... each little step that the film takes is
validation to them of their culture, of themselves as people who can
achieve things. They are more confident and a bit more forward looking
and I think that is a great thing."

Ten Canoes has won a string of prizes since premiering at the Adelaide
Film Festival in March.

It received a special jury prize at the Cannes International Film
Festival in May and is Australia's official entry in the foreign
language category at next year's Academy Awards.

"A film can do in a very general sense only this tiny little bit," de
Heer said.

"It can make a tiny contribution and hopefully Ten Canoes has made a
contribution. Where it has made a bigger contribution has been in the
community."

Also winning top honours at the 48th annual AFI Awards were best actress
Emily Barclay, for her performance in Suburban Mayhem, and best actor
Shane Jacobson, for toilet humour comedy Kenny.