Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows actor, writer, director and filmmaker Wayne Blair talking about his acting career and his own writing for film or theatre, discussing the type of roles that he has been offered and the universal stories with Indigenous themes he prefers to write. Scenes of him walking in Sydney and a scene from one of his films are followed by his arrival at a rehearsal studio, being greeted by a fellow actor and watching some dancers. Blair explains his feelings about getting Indigenous stories heard.

Educational value points

• An important issue for Indigenous actors and writers for film and theatre in Australia is canvassed in the clip, the issue of how being Indigenous influences the roles they are offered and the stories they choose to tell. Wayne Blair (1971–), a Butchala man from Rockhampton who has played both Indigenous and non-Indigenous roles in his acting career, sees positive aspects to telling Indigenous stories as well as seeking the universal in his writing and acting.

• Blair, who began acting when he was 23, draws two significant distinctions in regard to Indigenous influences in film and theatre. One distinction is between 'clever’ casting, when Indigenous actors are chosen for talent, and casting when actors are chosen for type. His second distinction is between 'clever’ writing in which the changing nature of Indigenous experiences is portrayed and writing that perpetuates negative stereotypes.

• Blair’s interest in having Indigenous plays performed and in being involved in the creative process is evidenced by his starring roles in Conversations with the Dead, The Sunshine Club and Skin, all of which explore Indigenous experiences. As well as acting, Blair has written and directed films such as Black Talk and his award-winning The Djarn Djarns for which he received a Deadly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television.

• The dancers shown rehearsing in the clip are members of the Bangarra Dance Theatre, part of a developing contemporary Indigenous theatre tradition in Australia that communicates messages about Indigenous cultures through theatre and dance. Many Aboriginal activists in Australia have seen Indigenous theatre as a vehicle for promoting social justice issues.

• The clip uses music, images and post-production techniques to support the voiced content. Fast-paced music that increases in intensity adds excitement and establishes the speed of the clip and the music is matched with shots of buildings and sped-up footage of traffic to establish the contemporary urban context. The result is a depiction of Blair on his way both literally – in that he is walking through Sydney – and metaphorically.