Part of the London Australian Film Festival’s David Gulpilil retrospective
In a career spanning five decades, Yolŋu dancer and actor David Gulpilil carved out a unique place in Australian cinema and culture. His recent death, at the age of 68, brought an end to a miraculous but tumultuous career, and a life dedicated to taking his culture to the world.
We open the London Australian Film Festival‘s retrospective strand at the Garden Cinema with this double-bill event, combining an illustrated talk and a programme of rarely seen short films.
Join the festival’s programmer Dr Stephen Morgan, as he traces Gulpilil’s legacy through 50 years of Australian cinema, from the reinvigoration of feature filmmaking in the 1970s, to the flourishing of Indigenous work in recent years. Featuring archival images, rarely seen footage and clips from key films from across Gulpilil’s career, this event will celebrate the life and work of one of Australia’s finest actors, and inaugurates three days dedicated to celebrating the life and legacy of this unique Indigenous star.
The screen talk will be followed by a hand-picked selection of short films spanning Gulpilil’s career, from very early screen performances to key collaborations with Indigenous filmmakers. Looking beyond his more famous feature film roles, to embrace the many talents of this formidable storyteller, this programme offers an extremely rare opportunity to see short films that have either never been screened in the UK, or haven’t been seen here in decades.
Among the films featured in the short film programme are:
NO BAG LIMIT
Documentary, 11 minutes, 1973
Director/Writer/Producer: Andrew Vial
A rarely seen experimental documentary exploring the destruction of the Aboriginal population of lutruwita/Tasmania. Featuring traditional dance and music from Gulpilil, it premiered at the London Film Festival in 1973, where it was honoured as one of the 'outstanding films of the year' alongside another Vial short, Ack-Ack Girl.
MIMI
Drama/Comedy, 13 minutes, 2002
Director/Writer: Warwick Thornton
Producers: Darren Dale, Rachel Perkins
An early, satirical short from Kaytetye filmmaker Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah, Sweet Country) poking fun at white art collectors who purchase Indigenous art purely for its investment value. Gulpilil plays an Elder, called in to take charge when one particularly cheeky work of art begins to wreak havoc. Also stars Aaron Pederson (Mystery Road) and Sophie Lee (Muriel’s Wedding, The Castle).
CROCODILE DREAMING
Drama, 27 minutes, 2006
Director/Writer: Darlene Johnson
Producers: Sue Milliken
Culture and custom collide in Dunghutti filmmaker Darlene Johnson’s remarkable debut fiction film, a modern day supernatural tale of two estranged brothers, played by Gulpilil and Tom E. Lewis (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Red Hill, Goldstone).
Presented in association with the Menzies Australia Institute (King’s College London). With thanks to Andrew Vial, Warwick Thornton, Blackfella Films, and Ronin Films.
About the speaker
Dr Stephen Morgan is an academic and film historian whose research focuses on the cinemas of Britain and its former settler colonies, with a particular focus on Australian cinema. His book, Ealing Abroad: Post-War British Cinema, Settler Colonialism and Ealing Studios in Australia, will be published by BFI/Bloomsbury in 2023. He is also the co-programmer of the London Australian Film Society, and programmer of the 2022 London Australian Film Festival.