Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Crocodile Dreaming (2006)

play May contain names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
clip Everything is upside down

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

A sacred stone has been taken, and a child killed by a crocodile. An old woman explains, ‘Everything’s upside down now, it’s all wrong’. The old men meet and agree to contact the ‘number one Jungaiy for the crocodile dreaming’, Burrimmilla (David Gulpilil). Burrimmilla’s younger brother Charlie (Tom E Lewis) expresses jealousy about his brother’s status as the ‘number one’.

Curator’s notes

This scene portrays a Yolngu worldview represented in the roles and responsibilities of the peoples. It shows the customary collective mourning and decision-making processes. The main character, Burrimmilla, demonstrates the capacity for Yolngu people to gain success in both their own as well as the western world.