Is this real?

The representation of Indigenous people in the history of film making has been plagued by exploitation and inaccuracies all created to sell a movie and a novel idea of good vs evil (Davis, 2007). The emotions this treatment elicits from elders of Indigenous communities can best be described by the statement recorded by Davis (2007, p. 6): "They are using you!".

When practices are as entrenched as the treatment of Indigenous people in film it is often difficult to see how there could be any change. Indeed Davis (2007) recognises this, identifying that "questions of inequality, appropriation and ownership continue to recure even when protocols and guidelines are in place".

Indigenous elders do recognise the importance of film however to with another saying "the film will allow people from the community and around the world to know how our ancestors lived and to understand them" (Davis, 2007, p. 5).  This raises questions of how to maintain authenticity and context in an artform that is often known for its biased perspectives and silenced views.

One suggested solution is that white film-makers must be prepared to engage in cultural exchange in order to make films about Aboriginal people (Davis, 2007). We can see this process play out in Ten Canoes which is an Australian film focusing on Indigenous individuals that was created in cross-cultural collaboration (Davis, 2007).

Videos are access by a broad range of individuals from around the world. Providing accurate and authentic representations of Indigenous cultures, using a method that does not disturb the everyday practices of the community being filmed, is important to ensure the Indigenous traditions are upheld and the rest society is not manipulated with inaccurate representations of Indigenous people.


References

Davis, T. (2007). Remembering our ancestors: cross-cultural collaboration and the mediation of Aboriginal culture and history in Ten Canoes.  Studies in Australasian Cinema, 1(1). doi 10.1386/sac.1.1.5/1

Video Source

erikmartin. (2007, October 3). Ten Canoes - Trailer [Video file]. Video posted to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vzf9BAVGZc