Ten Canoes (2006)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Directors:

Rolf de Heer
Peter Djigirr

Writer:

Rolf de Heer (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Ten canoes, three wives, one hundred and fifty spears...trouble

Plot:

A story within a story. In Australia's Northern Territory, a man tells us one of the stories of his people and his land...

Plot Keywords:

Story | Brother | Australia | Ancestor | Stranger

Awards:

15 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Crusoe Kurddal	...	Ridjimiraril
Jamie Gulpilil	...	Dayindi / Yeeralparil (as Jamie Dayindi Gulpilil Dalaithngu)
Richard Birrinbirrin	...	Birrinbirrin
Peter Minygululu	...	Minygululu
Frances Djulibing	...	Nowalingu
David Gulpilil	...	The Storyteller (as David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu)
Sonia Djarrabalminym	...	Banalandju
Cassandra Malangarri Baker	...	Munandjarra
Philip Gudthaykudthay	...	The Sorcerer
Peter Djigirr	...	Canoeist / The Victim / Warrior
Michael Dawu	...	Canoeist / The Stranger
Bobby Bunungurr	...	Canoeist / Uncle
Johnny Buniyira	...	Canoeist / Warrior
Billy Black	...	Canoeist / Warrior
Steven Wilinydjanu Maliburr	...	Canoeist / Warrior
Carl Dhalurruma	...	Canoeist / Warrior
Kathy Gonun	...	Birrinbirrin's Wife #1
Jennifer Djenana	...	Birrinbirrin's Wife #2
Sylvia Nupunya Gaykamangu	...	Camp Woman
Silvia Gapany Gaykamangu	...	Camp Woman
Evonne Munuygu	...	Camp Woman
Mary Dhapalany	...	Camp Woman
Valerie Malibirr	...	Camp Woman
Julie Djelrr	...	Camp Woman
Susan Maliburr	...	Camp Woman
Belinda Gundjulma	...	Camp Woman
Madeline Gaykamangu	...	Camp Woman
Monica Maminyinawny	...	Camp Woman
Shirley Banalanydju	...	Camp Woman
Rico Pascoe	...	Honey Boy / Messenger
Scott Gaykamangu	...	Honey Boy
Albert Gaykamangu	...	Stranger's Man
Sammy Dhurrkay	...	Stranger's Man
Meriyl Gaykamangu	...	Stranger's Man
George Gaykamangu	...	Stranger's Man
Jeffrey Buinyinyinwuiny	...	Wrong Stranger
Lindsay Mace Gaykamangu	...	Painted Warrior
Obert Durrungu
Dino Wanybarrngu
Phoenix Maliburr
John Maliburr
Malachi Gurrulpa
Roslyn Maliburr
Jasmin Maliburr
Jayden Maliburr
Naomi Garrawuarra
Dimitrius Durrur
John Yarralmuka
Daniel Gurrulpa
Hilston Gurrulpa
Ryan Maliburr
Serena Maliburr
Alison Durrunga
Marissa Garrawuarra
Jordan Maliburr
Aristas Durrur
Vanessa Yirwirri

Directed by
Rolf de Heer
Peter Djigirr

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rolf de Heer		written by

Produced by
Richard Birrinbirrin	....	associate producer
Rolf de Heer	....	producer
Bryce Menzies	....	executive producer
Sue Murray	....	executive producer
Nils Erik Nielsen	....	associate producer
Domenico Procacci	....	executive producer
Julie Ryan	....	producer
Belinda Scott	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Ian Jones

Film Editing by
Tania Nehme

Production Design by
Beverly Freeman

Art Direction by
Beverly Freeman

Set Decoration by
Beverly Freeman

Costume Design by
Beverly Freeman

Makeup Department
Beverly Freeman	....	key hair stylist
Beverly Freeman	....	makeup department head

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karen Mahood	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Beverly Freeman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
James Currie	....	sound designer
James Currie	....	sound recordist
James Currie	....	sound supervisor
Tom Heuzenroeder	....	sound designer
Tom Heuzenroeder	....	sound editor
Rory McGregor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Adrian Medhurst	....	foley artist
Tania Nehme	....	narration editor

Visual Effects by
Jamie Hediger	....	compositor
Michelle Hunt	....	digital compositor
Matthew North	....	compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Tobias Andersson	....	gaffer
Ricky Schamburg	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
Jon Armstrong	....	editor technical supervisor
Olivier Fontenay	....	digital colorist
Nick Meyers	....	Final Cut Pro consultant
Anthos Simon	....	digital intermediate producer

Other crew
Kate Croser	....	production coordinator
Jonathan Dixon	....	digital liaison
Mark Kraus	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Adelaide Film Festival
• Fandango Australia
• Fandango
• Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) (SBS Independent)
• Vertigo Productions Pty. Ltd.

Distributors

• Cinemien (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Kinosmith (2006) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Memento Films International (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Memento Films (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Palace Films (2006) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Palm Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2006) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Alamode Film (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Odeon (2007) (Greece) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cameraquip Australia  camera equipment provided by
• Adelaide Film Festival  financing (as AFF Investment Fund)
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  sound post-production

Also Known As:

10 Canoes (Australia) (alternative spelling)
10 Kanus, 150 Speere und 3 Frauen (Germany) [de]
10 canoës, 150 lances et 3 épouses (France) [fr]
10 canoe (Italy) [it]
10 varkes (Greece) [el]
Dez Canoas (Brazil) (festival title) [pt]
Diez canoas (Argentina) (festival title) [es]

Runtime:

Australia:90 min | USA:90 min | Argentina:90 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Australia

Language:

Aboriginal | English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:13 | USA:Unrated | Germany:12 | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Arafura Swamp, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

Adelaide Film Festival

Trivia:

The canoes in the film were made according to original tribal methods, using directions from tribal elders who had not made them for some fifty years.

Quotes:

The group: [all walking in a line]
Canoeist: Everyone stop!
[all stop and turn]
The Storyteller: That one is Djigirr. Djigirr talk too much, but maybe he heard something.
Canoeist: I refuse to walk at the end. Someone ahead keeps farting.
The group: [laughter] Not me. Not me.
Canoeist: It's you again. You're always so silent. Silent but deadly. Admit it.
Canoeist: Alright, it's me.
Canoeist: You're rotten inside.
Canoeist: I'm rotten inside.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Followed by Twelve Canoes (2008)

Groundbreaking, impressive, amusing collaboration

Groundbreaking, impressive collaboration between de Heer and Gulpilil, who had previously worked together on The Tracker four years previously, is the first feature film to be shot entirely in an Australian Indigenous language. Set well before the arrival of Europeans in Arnhem Land, the film is also the first film about Indigenous Australians that does not focus on disadvantage: while recognising Indigenous disadvantage (and its effects and causes) is of major importance in contemporary Australia, care must be taken to avoid the two descriptors – "Indigenous" and "disadvantaged" – being forever melded together. The film's subtle but powerful political message, that liberalism's "tolerance" must make way for communitarianism's "curiosity" and eventual "understanding" and related "acceptance", is one that should be promoted, perhaps in a new sub-genre of Australian film that tells Indigenous stories (including Dreamtime stories). While Ten Canoes is not a "great" film if one is assessing its pure content in isolation, its political and cultural implications and its pioneering vision assure it of a place in a highly selective canon of "great films", both in Australia and around the world.