Twelve Canoes

In 12 episodes with titles such as "Our Ancestors" and "Ceremony," directors Molly Reynolds and Rolf de Heer (who directed the thematically similar feature film depict the history and way of life of the Yolngu, an aboriginal community in the north of Australia. In each episode, another voice-over tells about an aspect of their lives, from the stories of creation to the family laws and from the wars with the white occupiers to Dr. Thomson, an anthropologist who lived with them for a long time and managed to prevent the Australian government from going ahead with a punitive expedition. The narrations are accompanied by a contemplative series of images, some in split-screen, often in shifting layers. We see the flora and fauna of the swampy terrain, traditionally drawn illustrations of Yolngu history, old black-and-white photos taken by Dr. Thomson, and images of their present-day life, in which traditional song and dance still play an important role. "That's the way it's always been," says one voice, but changes are inevitable. There's now a quota on the number of crocodiles the Yolgnu can catch each year, technological innovations are integrated into their daily lives, and official warning signs mark their territory.