Ten Canoes

Ten men go hunting in a primeval landscape. In a wry voiceover, legendary Australian actor David Gulpilil tells an old story, a good story – his story. At first, in contrasting black and white, the film follows the hunters to their camp where the eldest tells a story of a man who desired his brother’s wife for the benefit of the younger hunters. Now in colour, this part of the legend is set even further back in the past. Rolf de Heer‘s visually powerful film portrays a mythical Australia, long before the white man set foot on the continent. The film was made together with David Gulpilil and the Yolngu community. The props and objects were made according to traditional, all but forgotten methods. This process helped the Yolngu to remember their old ways, and gave rise to new stories that will now be carried into the future.