Review of Ten Canoes (2006) by Aliya D — 01 Feb 2009

'Ten Canoes' unusual story-within-a-story structure allows a glimpse of one Indigenous Australian culture while it offers a timeless fable with enough drama to satisfy both Western and Yolngu tastes.

The film was conceived by writer/director Rolf de Heer as a project for and about the native people of Arnhem Land in Northern Australia, from whence his friend/actor David Gulpilil, who narrates the film, hails.

The film's style and narrative structure were inspired by the photographs of anthropologist Dr. Donald Thomson, who took over 4,000 pictures of the Yolngu people in the 1930s while their ancient traditions were still widely practiced.

The film offers drama, humor, and a striking visual exploration of a traditional culture and the lands that shaped it for millennia. Working with mostly non-professional actors who speak limited English, in keeping with their tribal laws, presented some hurdles which were surmounted in part due to the efforts of actor Peter Djigirr, whom Rolf de Heer credits as co-director.

There is nothing remarkable about the story told in 'Ten Canoes' but the telling itself is hypnotic and transcendent.