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Clip description
This clip features historical stills from the archive of Captain James Cook and Indigenous peoples, while a voice-over and interviews discuss the arrival of the white colonists and the belief system of the Aboriginal inhabitants.
Curator’s notes
This clip makes imaginative use of contemporary and historical footage of Australia to give us an idea of how the landscape might have looked to arriving white colonists. Cross fades combining the footage effectively draw us into the past. The musical score is sparse and eerie and, combined with the footage, potently conveys the narration’s mention of a powerful and largely unseen Indigenous presence.
The second interviewee challenges the simplification and romanticism of the ‘noble savage’ that ignores the harsh realities of traditional Aboriginal life. By raising these issues this clip highlights the complexity of reconciliation. The use of images and interviews filmed with a static camera is effectively broken up by the rolling shots of the landscape which gives the clip a dynamic feel and makes it more visually interesting.
