Notes on the Seminar: Towards an Indigenous Screen
Context and Seminar Overview
Seminar focus: Towards an Indigenous Screen — an ongoing, evolving process of indigenizing the Australian screen through Indigenous filmmakers, activists, critics, and scholars.
Title note: The term towards signals ongoing work, not a completed achievement (as highlighted by Tom O'Regan).
Acknowledgement: Land acknowledgement to the Yuggera and Terrible people; emphasis on learning from thousands of years of Indigenous culture and practice.
Instructor’s positionality: Host identifies as child of English immigrants; invites corrections from Indigenous perspectives; emphasis on how personal background shapes viewing and interpretation; encourages students to reflect on their own upbringings and positions.
Core pedagogical aim: Connect course themes to personal histories; examine how Australian cinema has defined Australianness through relationships to landscape, the outback, and later, diverse identities; consider activism and policy as drivers of change in Indigenous cinema.
Big themes from prior weeks: Dominant relational themes in Australian film (Europe as settler culture, then American influences, landscape as site of Australianness); shifting identities and diversification of the landscape; policy-driven shifts often led by activists.
Contextual bridge to this week’s screening: In My Blood It Runs — a documentary about an Indigenous youth, its production context, and questions around representation, agency, and making with Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Screen as an Ongoing Indigenizing Project
Indigenizing Australian screen involves Indigenous filmmakers, activists, critics, and scholars engaging in ongoing work rather than a fixed endpoint.
The process is collaborative, iterative, and tied to broader social and political movements (land rights, activism, policy reforms).
The seminar foregrounds how Indigenous film practice seeks to share power and control over storytelling with communities depicted on screen.
Key Theoretical and Historical Context
Marsha Langton (1993): Textual analysis of racist stereotypes and mythologies that shape Australian understandings of Aboriginal people; crucial point: the densest relationship is between white Australians and the symbols created by their predecessors, not just between actual people.
Films and media are powerful tools shaping self-image and public perception; need policies and protocols to prevent harmful representations and to support cultural maintenance.
Film and media can reinforce or challenge colonial narratives; their impact predates cinema (ethnographic images from the late 18th century onward).
Indigenous filmmaking is framed as a strategic tool for cultural maintenance and for negotiating Indigenous self-representation within a settler society.
Early ethnographic imagery and its misuses: Indigenous images from pre-film contexts (and early ethnography) were repurposed in ways that supported colonial storytelling about savages, despite initial intentions to understand and preserve culture.
The idea of “Aboriginal survivals” and cultural maintenance: film and television as modes of survival, continuity, and resistance to erasure.
Policy, Institutions, and Activism: Structural Shifts in Indigenous Screen
1970s shifts: Rise of land rights movement, creation of the Australian Film Commission (AFC) and AFTRS (Australian Film, Television and Radio School) funding; documentary funding opened doors for Indigenous projects.
Essie Coffey and My Survival as an Aboriginal Woman (1978): A landmark AFC-funded collaboration, directed by Essie Coffey (an Aboriginal woman) and shot by non-Indigenous filmmakers Martha and Sarah; described as the first film by an Aboriginal woman since the 1920s, marking a breakthrough in Indigenous-led documentary production.
Policy and ethics maturation: Early documentary practices often lacked consent and control by Indigenous communities; moving toward protocols, informed consent, and shared profits with communities. By 2009, Screen Australia/industry guidelines formalized Indigenous filmmaking protocols and screen crafts.
Critical strategy: Activist work and policy changes precede funding shifts, enabling Indigenous-led projects and governance of storytelling (ownership, control, profits).
Broader historical arc: From settler-centric recounting of Australian history to more nuanced Indigenous perspectives; reconciling public memory with Indigenous histories requires structural changes and new storytelling languages.
Early Indigenous Film and Critical Milestones
Jeddah (Charles Chauvel) and other colonial/neo-colonial depictions: Early Australian cinema treated Aboriginal people as “other,” sometimes with sympathetic intent but still reinforcing a colonial gaze.
Walkabout (1971) and Storm Boy (1976): Notable for Indigenous actors and presence, but often positioned Indigenous characters within the white Australian narrative; generated questions about representation, agency, and the role of Indigenous actors in shaping storytelling.
The rise of alternative portrayals in the 1970s–1980s: Indigenous storytelling begins to challenge pioneer myths and reframe Australian history through Indigenous perspectives and activism (e.g., Essie Coffey’s work; land rights discourse).
The documentary environment shifts to support Indigenous agency: collaboration, community-led projects, and protocols become standard practice.
In My Blood It Runs: Case Study and Critical Questions
Film topic: A documentary exploring Indigenous youth in Alice Springs, focusing on the schooling experience and the tension between Western education and Indigenous cultural education.
Trailer content (contextual cues): Scenes showing family dynamics, health, juvenile justice, and the child’s experiences with school and community.
Key questions raised in seminar:
To what extent are documentary scenes truly observational, and when might staging occur in on-the-ground Indigenous filmmaking?
How does audience perception shift when Indigenous control and perspectives drive the narrative?
How does the film address issues of juvenile justice, colonization, and education systems?
Participant reflections:
Some students felt the film was beautiful, moving, and informative, while noting moments that felt staged or constructed (e.g., classroom scenes that seemed tailored for the camera).
Debates on whether Indigenous presence behind the camera could reduce self-consciousness of Indigenous teachers and students.
The role of Indigenous collaborators and cultural advisers in shaping on-screen representation and authenticity.
Production ethics highlighted: The film is discussed within broader debates about consent, representation, and ownership; the importance of community control and shared profits in Indigenous storytelling.
Real-world significance: The film demonstrates how Indigenous film can foreground Indigenous perspectives on education, justice, and community life, challenging settler-centric narratives.
UN and advocacy: The work has extended to global forums (e.g., 2020 UN Indigenous Juvenile Justice address) to argue for recognition of Indigenous child welfare and self-determination.
Observational Documentary vs Staging: Filmmaking Realities in Indigenous Contexts
Observational documentary principles (as claimed for In My Blood It Runs): Observe, do not stage, let events unfold naturally; narrative emerges from participants’ lived experiences.
Critics’ notes: Some on-the-ground moments may feel staged or curated to convey particular messages; Indigenous filmmaking emphasizes consent, co-creation, and transparency about how scenes are framed.
The role of Indigenous crews and collaborators in preserving authenticity and reducing exploitative representations.
The importance of cultural advisory and screen Australia protocols to guide ethically responsible documentary practice.
Historical Threads: From Ethnography to Self-Representation
Ethnographic film legacy: Early footage and captions shaped white audiences’ understandings of Indigenous peoples; the medium has a history of misrepresentation and appropriation.
Transition in the 1970s–1980s: Increased Indigenous participation and leadership in film production; emergence of a two-way approach to storytelling and knowledge transfer.
The role of archives and imagery: Archival material (e.g., Thompson’s 1937 photograph of canoe making) can be repurposed to support cultural maintenance, illustrating how external sources can become tools for Indigenous revival when placed under community control.
Dreamtime, landscape, and place: The use of landscape as a medium for storytelling and a site of cultural memory; how color vs. black-and-white shifts mark temporal layers (past vs present) and storytelling modes.
Key Films, Figures, and Concepts: Quick Reference
In My Blood It Runs (Maya Newell): Indigenous youth story; questions of staging, observational vs constructed scenes; concerns about education and juvenile justice; production ethics and community control.
My Survival as an Aboriginal Woman (Essie Coffey, 1978): A landmark collaboration; first Aboriginal woman-led Australian film since the 1920s; AFC-funded; early model of Indigenous-led documentary practice.
Jeddah (1930s–1950s era cinema; discussed in week contexts): Classic colonial portrayal; illustrates how Indigenous peoples were framed as “the other” even in sympathetic depictions.
Mangani/Manganini (Tasmanian Indigenous history feature): Explores colonial/settler narratives; uses a white child into Indigenous territory; prompts reflection on past/future and who survives whom; discusses the colonial myth of the dying Indigenous culture and the survival of white children in the bush.
Walkabout (1971) and Storm Boy (1976): Early films with Indigenous actors; prompts reflection on the alignment (or tension) between Indigenous characters and white protagonists in Australian cinema.
10 Canoes (2006): Directed by Rolf de Heer; co-created with David Gulpilil; opening narration frames the story through Indigenous storytelling and land ontology; uses color for present-day storytelling and black-and-white for historical/cultural memory; features an Aboriginal language-led narrative and collaboration with local communities; anchored by a historical photograph (David Thompson’s 1937 image) to reconstitute canoe-making in the present.
Brand New Day (Rachel Perkins): An example of Indigenous filmmaking within the genre (musical) seeking international reach while staying rooted in Aboriginal storytelling; contrasts with Thornton’s more realist and location-based approach.
The Sapphires (2012): Another Perkins project, musical overtones; demonstrates Indigenous voices in mainstream genres while addressing cultural and historical themes.
Samson and Delilah (Warwick Thornton): An example of a film that crafts an Indigenous filmmaking language outside traditional Western genres; emphasizes authentic Aboriginal voice and experience.
Language, Voice, and Representation: Creative Agency
Two flagship Indigenous filmmakers discussed: Warrick (Warwick) Thornton and Rachel Perkins.
Perkins: Works within genre (musicals like Brand New Day, The Sapphires) to reach international audiences while foregrounding Aboriginal perspectives.
Thornton: Explores more experimental or non-traditional Indigenous storytelling; seeks to develop an Aboriginal filmmaking language beyond conventional genres; notable for The Tracker and Samson and Delilah.
Question raised by Perkins: Do Aboriginal filmmakers have to tell Aboriginal stories? Answer suggested: No — the goal is equal rights to tell ordinary stories about anyone; avoid essentializing Indigenous storytelling as the sole domain of Indigenous storytellers, while still valuing Indigenous voices where appropriate.
The role of performers as creative agents: David Gulpilil highlighted as a key contributor not only as an actor but as an intercultural interlocutor who challenged recitations and insisted on authentic representation; notable for shaping production choices and on-screen portrayals.
Performers as co-creators: Emphasis on the actor’s influence in directing, improvising lines, and negotiating representation with directors to reflect cultural realities.
The Interplay of Culture, Ethics, and Global Relevance
Indigenous film as a tool for cultural maintenance and survival, as well as a means to critique settler history and policy.
The moral economy of Indigenous storytelling: Indigenous ownership, consent, and benefit-sharing (shared profits with families) as essential to ethical filmmaking.
Global relevance: Indigenous screen activism and governance align with broader human rights conversations (e.g., UN Indigenous Juvenile Justice), highlighting the role of film in shaping policy, public memory, and cross-cultural understanding.
Recurring Lessons and Takeaways for the Exam
The Indigenous screen is an ongoing project; progress is not complete but continually negotiated through activism, policy, and community leadership.
Language, storytelling, and ontology matter: how land, country, and cultural memory are depicted can either reinforce stereotypes or support cultural maintenance.
Ethical filmmaking requires consent, community control, and a fair distribution of profits; protocols (e.g., Screen Australia guidelines) formalize these principles.
Representation evolves: From early ethnographic gaze to contemporary Indigenous-led narratives, with increasing agency for Indigenous communities in choosing how their stories are told.
Films function as both cultural artifacts and political acts: they shape self-image, public perception, and policy debates; they also prompt critical inquiry into staging, presence of Indigenous voices, and the politics of memory.
Cross-cultural parallels exist between Indigenous Australian cinema and Indigenous cinema in other contexts (e.g., Native American representation) in terms of resistance, stereotype, and the politics of visibility.
Glossary of Key Terms
Indigenizing / Indigenous screen: process of incorporating Indigenous perspectives, voices, and governance into film and television production and storytelling.
Observational documentary: approach claiming to observe life with minimal interference or staging; debated in the context of Indigenous filmmaking where community collaboration shapes representation.
Informed consent: ethical requirement that participants understand and agree to how their image and stories will be used.
Shared profits / community ownership: model in which Indigenous communities receive financial benefits and maintain control over storytelling.
Two-way learning: pedagogical and storytelling approach that values Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge systems and collaboration.
Dreamtime / Dreaming: Indigenous Australian cosmology and storytelling framework; used in film to indicate timeframes and spiritual connection to place.
AFTRS / AFC: Australian Film, Television and Radio School and Australian Film Commission; key institutions in training and funding Indigenous film.
Policy-driven change: shifts in funding and production practices driven by activist movements and community advocacy.
Country / land as ontology: the concept that land and country define identity, meaning, and ways of knowing in Indigenous cultures.
Quick Reference Timeline (selected milestones)
1978: Essie Coffey’s My Survival as an Aboriginal Woman — AFC-funded, landmark Indigenous-led documentary by an Aboriginal woman.
1993: Langton’s foundational textual analysis of stereotypes and the politics of representation.
1920s–1920s: Early Indigenous actors and filmmakers, and the continuing critique of pioneer-era storytelling.
1970s: Rise of land rights movement, AFTRS and AFC, enabling Indigenous films and collaborations.
2006: 10 Canoes — groundbreaking Indigenous-language film with embedded cultural pedagogy and cross-cultural collaboration.
2009: Introduction of on-screen Australia Indigenous filmmaking protocols and funding structures to support ethical collaborations.
2012: The Sapphires — widely seen Indigenous-led musical, demonstrating crossover appeal.
2016: Cleverman — Indigenous superhero TV series representing a new wave of Indigenous genre-based storytelling.
2020: UN Indigenous Juvenile Justice address — example of Indigenous storytelling influencing international policy discussions.