Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows 7-year-old Ricco Japaljarri Martin and his classmates at an Indigenous Australian community school near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Ricco and his classmates are shown singing a song together and Ricco says that he 'loves to learn’. Ricco is shown with a book learning about Mexico and Nigeria. He asserts that he is going to Mexico and in a later sequence stands in front of a world map and identifies Mexico. In Warlpiri language class, Ricco introduces his Warlpiri teacher and clarifies that his skin name is Japaljarri. The clip includes English subtitles.

Educational value points

• This clip is from the observational documentary Wirriya: Small Boy, which explores an ordinary day in the life of Ricco Japaljarri Martin. Released in 2004, the film was produced, written and directed by Indigenous Australian filmmaker Beck Cole. It was shot over a 2-month period on a mini-DV camera at Hidden Valley (also known as Ewyenper-Atwatye), a small Indigenous community on the outskirts of Alice Springs in central Australia. Ricco provides most of the narration, and the film is a warm and intimate account of his family and aspirations.

• An Indigenous Australian language and culture program in a community school is featured. Ricco is learning the Warlpiri language, spoken in Alice Springs and areas north-west of Alice Springs. Whether they speak Aboriginal English, Aboriginal Creole or 'Kriol’ (language spoken to facilitate communication between two or more language groups), or an Indigenous Australian language, language is an integral part of Indigenous Australian people’s cultural identity.

• The clip alludes to some of the chronic health issues that persist in Indigenous Australian communities. On arrival at school, Ricco and his classmates are made to blow their noses and are shown doing an exercise program. Health statistics show that Indigenous Australian children across Australia suffer illnesses such as ear infections and upper respiratory tract conditions in greater numbers than non-Indigenous Australian children.

• Mention is made of Ricco’s 'skin’ name. On his way to language class, Ricco clarifies that his skin name is 'Japaljarri’. The kinship system is a feature of Indigenous Australian social organisation and family relationships across central Australia and is a complex system that determines how people relate to each other and their roles, responsibilities and obligations in relation to one another, ceremonial business and land. The 'skin system’ is a method of further subdividing society within a kinship group. Skin names for boys in the Warlpiri language always start with the letter 'J’.

• Wirriya: Small Boy is the work of Beck Cole, a respected Indigenous Australian filmmaker. Beck Cole is a writer, producer and director, and a graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS). Her debut drama, Flat, screened at the Sundance and Edinburgh Film festivals in 2004. In Wirriya: Small Boy Cole skilfully and sensitively portrays a day in Ricco’s life and presents the audience with a unique view of an isolated Indigenous Australian community through the eyes of a child. Ricco is clearly comfortable sharing his thoughts about life. Beck Cole worked closely with the community and gained rare access to the town in this respectful construction of Ricco’s story.

• This is an example of an 'observational documentary’ style of filmmaking. The effect of the observational approach is that the documentary maker’s point of view is not paramount in the film. Rather than listen to a narrator telling Ricco’s story, viewers listen to Ricco and members of his community telling their own stories against the backdrop of their everyday lives.

Ricco and his classmates at an Indigenous Australian community school near Alice Springs file into the classroom.
Teacher Everybody blowing your noses now. One nostril. The other one. Good. Charlie, I can’t hear you.

The children jump up and down, clapping.
Children Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

The children are now seated on the floor.
Teacher OK? No, no, no.
Ricco We can sing out very loud now.
Teacher OK, ready, do it again now.
Children Two little dickey birds. Come back, Peter, come back, Paul.
Teacher They come back?
Ricco Yeah!
Teacher One more time?
Children Yeah!
Teacher Ready?
Children (singing with teacher) Two little dickey birds sitting on a wall. One named Peter, one named Paul. Fly away, Peter. Fly away, Paul.

Ricco and another boy sit on the floor looking at a book.
Ricco (voice-over, with English subtitles) I like to learn. (to boy) You can’t get here with boat.
Boy That’s you, hey?
Ricco Look there. (voice-over) We learn about Mexico and Nigeria. (to boy) I’m going Mexico, right here, look.
Boy Ricco. Look. Look! Oh, all the ruins!
Ricco walks over to camera with his book.
Ricco You see, that’s my passport.
Filmmaker What’s that?
Ricco Passport. We’ve been past Nigeria here, look. We’ve been past this. And we do things, look.

Ricco stands in front of a world map.
Filmmaker Where have you been in your passport? Show me.
Ricco Here. (points) Mexico.
Filmmaker And where do you live all the time?
Ricco Here. (points to middle of Australia)
Filmmaker Where?
Ricco Here. (points again)
Filmmaker Where’s that?
Ricco Here, right here.

Ricco is walking outside. He walks over to a door and one of the other boys tries to stop him from entering.
Ricco (voice-over) Fiona teaches us for Warlpiri. My skin name is Japaljarri.
Boy Hey! Ah! Get out!
Inside the classroom, Fiona conducts a lesson. The kids are seated on the floor.
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) You two are no good, you’re showing off. If you come to Warlpiri class, sit down good at Warlpiri class without being crazy. Do you learn Warlpiri here or nothing?
Fiona points a ruler at words on a noticeboard as the kids recite for her.
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Can all of you say it? What is this?
Ricco (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Kangaroo
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Harley Jampajinpa and Joseph Jampajinpa. See you are Jampajinpa like this one. Who is Japaljarri here? (holds up name tag) Ricco is Japaljarri.