Incorporating any two distinctly different approaches to
merge into one coherent perspective is no easy task, especially when the
challenge is to integrate the ideologies and culture of Indigenous Australians
with the western methods of media. Throughout Australia’s history the
relationship between Indigenous and Non- Indigenous Australians has been poor,
primarily due to a lack of understanding between the two cultures. It has taken
a long period of time for the Indigenous population of Australia to adapt to
the seemingly material and self-focused society in which westerners are so
accustomed to. However in saying that, we now have collaborative relationships
with members of the Indigenous community in areas of the media such as film.
The challenge of course with collaboration between the Indigenous and Non- Indigenous
community however, is that these two groups come from very distinctly different
backgrounds and regard things in different priorities. An example of this
difference can be found in the distinct religious practices. For instance, “Aboriginal
religious thought is performative rather than meditative, and relational more
than privatistic” (Sutton, 2010, p. 71) illustrating the
importance of connectedness.
The methods by which the two cultures communicate are vastly
different. For instance, the importance placed on storytelling within the
Aboriginal community is far greater than what it is the western culture, for
without storytelling in the Aboriginal community, none of the tribes could
connect to their faith, learn how to fight or hunt. It was greatly through
storytelling in the Indigenous culture that they learnt how to live. By
comparison, Non- Indigenous Australians communicate through other methods in
addition to storytelling, for instance, writing is a much more significant
aspect of communication than storytelling. Furthermore, whilst the Indigenous
communities of Australia have used the art of storytelling for life lessons and
as a primary form of communication, Non- Indigenous Australians have primarily
seen storytelling as a source of entertainment. Thus when creating a film that
incorporates both cultures, at the “heart of the delicate balancing act is the
task of bringing together ‘two very different storytelling traditions’” (Davis, 2007,
p. 7)
in a way that captures the essence of both and does justice to the integrity of
each.
The challenge with presenting a different world view to that
of the traditional western ideologies which Non-Indigenous Australians witness
all the time, is that the different perspective needs to somehow be adapted to
a western framework or backdrop that allows the audience to connect with
something that they can relate to. For instance, films about other countries
and cultures such as Bride and Prejudice,
find that the only way to be successful in a western market is to incorporate aspects
of western society into the production. Firstly, whilst looking at Bride and Prejudice, it is a story about
a Indian family, however, in the film they are all quite western looking
Indians. Secondly, the film is spoken in English the whole time, with multiple
members of American or English actors. Finally, Bride and Prejudice is based off of the British Jane Austen novel,
Pride and Prejudice. These factors indicate to me that a common belief on
success in western culture is to adapt whatever culture it is, but to put it
into a western context. Furthermore, in relation to incorporating the two
worldviews between the Indigenous and Non- Indigenous cultures, the challenge
is to allow the film adaptations to be authentic to them and represent the
Indigenous culture in an unbiased way, yet to make it “work for us” (Davis, 2007,
p. 7)
as a Non-Indigenous audience.
References:
Davis, T. (2007). Remembering our Ancestors: cross
cultural collaboration and the mediation of Aboriginal culture and history in
Ten Canoes (Rolf de Heer, 2006). Studies in Australian Cinema, 5-12.
Sutton, P. (2010). Aboriginal Spirituality in a New
Age. The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 71-89.
Image
Courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/photos/q=aboriginal&orientation=&image_type=
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