Posted by Kirk in General News, Preview, Sundance 2010 | 10 comments
Sundance 2010 Preview: BRAN NUE DAE
There are a lot of gloomy, dark, almost melancholy films playing at Sundance this year. Therefore, what better to brighten your day than an Australian musical set at a Catholic boarding school? It stars, Geoffrey Rush, too, so you know at least one of the performances found within will be top notch. Here’s hoping the vibrancy that is oozing off this film already is found throughout its entirety.
Official synopsis:
In her second time at the Sundance Film Festival, Rachel Perkins brings to the screen an adaptation of Jimmy Chi’s popular stage musical Bran Nue Dae, which was a national hit in Australia. It’s the summer of 1969, and with his evangelical mother pointing him toward the priesthood, earnest young Willie (Rocky McKenzie) attends a Catholic boarding school in Perth but, protesting its strict rules, runs away to his homeland. With Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush) in hot pursuit, he heads back to Broome, acquiring traveling companions along the way.
With songs and dances rooted in traditional Aboriginal performance, blues, rock and roll, Hollywood musicals, and the rituals of the Roman Catholic Mass, Willie sings and dances his way back to his own land and inspires the people around him to find their own truth. The colors of Aboriginal Australia shimmer in this wonderfully exuberant film, giving viewers a joyful romp while simultaneously touching on Aboriginal history and politics in a way that leaves us all wanting to be Aborigines.
BRAN NUE DAE is playing at the following times:
8:30 AM Fri, Jan 22 Racquet Club
9:45 PM Fri, Jan 22 Broadway Centre Cinemas V in Salt Lake City
6:00 PM Sun, Jan 24 Yarrow Hotel Theatre
7:00 PM Tue, Jan 26 Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden
6:00 PM Wed, Jan 27 Egyptian Theatre
1:00 PM Fri, Jan 29 Holiday Village Cinema III
5:30 PM Sat, Jan 30 Holiday Village Cinema I
Stills:
Whats so good about this film?
Another attempt by some idiot to make an Aboriginal movie and yet again create a barrier between the Aussies and Aboriginals.
I like many more will boycott this film as I am not in the mood to hear what Aboriginals have to offer.. Nothing..
Yet again Australia wastes money on a crap film in which no one will watch because we are sick of this Aboriginal garbage put in our face.
WE ARE SICK OF ABORIGINAL RUBBISH PUT IN OUR FACES.
To peter stef u racist pig, i am of Aboriginal descent and i am shocked to read this uneducated and supid comment u have left on this site. How dare u say u r sick of our rubbish. I am sick of people like u who have no acceptance or knowledge of the Aboriginal race therefore u should shut your mouth. Aboriginals have nothing to offer to racist people like u. U don't know the first thing about the Aboriginal people therefore i think u should keep ur opinions about them to yourself. This movie was made for f****n idiots like u to try understand our culture and history that was crushed by u and ur white ancestors that claim our lands. Shut ur face
Wow what a valuable contribution Peter Stef.
to take a line from Barrack Obama's autobiography, " there are white folks, and then there are ignorant motherf***ers like YOU! "
you know what I'm sick of… Bigots shoving their rubbish in my face!
you are a bigot and YOU have NOTHING to offer! except perhaps hate and embarrassment for your fellow country men.
so go curl back in your hole to perhaps tinker with your Ute, admire your southern cross tattoo, listening to right wing radio or maybe even just wait for this years return of the footy show and all that other stuff that macho, bogan, bigots love and NORMALLY SHOVE IN EVERYONE FACES, IN EVERY TOWN AND ON EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!!
but this time i want you to keep it all to yourself, and let the rest of the country get on with intelligent dialogue about who we are, where we are going and how we are going to understand each other and right our wrongs.
because on these issues you most certainly have NOTHING to offer anybody.
Thanks racist….hopefully there will be a neo-nazi film along soon you can enjoy.
There are so few films dealing with white people …not.
For everyone one, please feel free to enjoy a remarkable feel good bit of cinema that refreshes in the same way slumdog millionaire did.
You may want to reconsider and maybe even open up to and embrace the Aboriginal culture. Never know… you may just learn something. I know I have learned a lot from my own personal studies of the culture and beliefs of the Native American people, am terribly sorry and greatly offended by the horrible things that were done to them and could only hope that more people held the same respect for others and for nature that the Native American people have and still do. But, then again, that would mean you'd have to admit you were wrong and that your views are perhaps a bit flawed. Well, it was worth a try.
I'm an Aussie white girl & I just have to say I love this movie…I love our Aboriginal culture & am proud of Ernie Dingo & Jessica Mauboy & Tom, Rocky & Dan & the others, Missy Higgins, Geoffery & Sharon…it is brilliant & love the soundtrack (I bought that), to that Peter Stef, you are an embarrassment, if anything this kind of movie brings us all together, I have lots of friends & none of them are racists, it's dispicable & it's people like you (luckily you are in the minority) who paint a bad picture of Australians in general!
Even though I was born a white girl (like Missy Higgins/Annie) in Australia, I'm proud to say: "I'm an aboriginal too!" haha.. Loved this movie.. We should celebrate our Aboriginal people and their culture.. You see their artworks? OMG so beautiful…
im confused as to wether bran nue dae is racist or not there seems to be some racist parts and some bit that support aboriginals…
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.
I saw this film last night at the Palm Springs (California, USA) Native Film Festival. I loved it and keep singing the theme song to myself. I’ve been on the web looking for a video of the closing version of the song. I wish that someone would do a similar film of Native Americans/First Nations people. It’s so uplifting and happy. I’ve visited the land of Oz and never wanted to leave.