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From Sand to Celluloid – Black Man Down (1996)

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Life and death battle

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

Waxy (David Hudson) stands in the foreground. In the background by a fire, an Aboriginal warrior (Jeffrey Locke) in traditional dress throws Waxy a snake which becomes a belt when Waxy catches it. Back in the present Waxy fixes the same belt to the roof of the cell as he recites his hardship. The spirit woman tells him that his people need him. Waxy sits and talks to the spirit woman who identifies herself as the spirit of the great Kangaroo Dreaming named Mulweena (Linda Johnson). We hear a screech it is the death bird calling for Waxy.

Curator’s notes

The battle between death and life is in essence the battle of the spirit, between looking towards the spiritual identity and ancestral realm, or succumbing to the frustration of an Aboriginal man living in a white society. A society where his spiritual identity is suppressed, making him susceptible to societal and political forces.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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