After my presentation, I received feedback. Smiljana gave me some solid and assertive feedback toward cultural sensitivities. Dylan asked me a question about my ideas for shooting landscapes. I shall try to unpack a bit of both.
Map of the First Nations Countries of Australia.
In terms of ethics (Smiljana’s concern), I think it’s important to recognise indigenous rights to land, whether we are in the city or not. City-folk tend to view the NT as a place with an imaginary border around that makes it a no-go for our ideas or creativity and I think it is necessary to move past that in order to embrace its rich beauty, history and future. This attitude also reflects a disconnect between Southern-City-People’s idea of indigenous identity and indigenous realities. The idea that Noongar people in the South-West of Australia must have a connection to Uluru based on the fact they themselves are a part of the First Nations is a point to be discussed, but that’s not what this film is about.
Barrow Creek, old outhouse.
It is a story about a troubled, fictional, mixed-race community (a point which is dismissed as normal life to the community without being even recognised) with a somewhat sustained idea of “Frontierism” (with the racial element dissolved – if that’s even possible). It is based around the country which contains places like Barrow Creek and Tennant Creek. These are Warlpiri, Wurumungu & Gurindji Countries. Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek, locations within the countries, have a violent past pre-colonial, colonial and present. For this reason, I believe that country is affected and has special cultural gravitas in modern Australia whether positive or not. Smiljana brought up a point that I have to be careful how the land is used in cinema, and I think this is a valid point to be wary of. I don’t think that this perspective of treating land as just land, coming from a white person, who grew up in Noongar country is ill-informed, rather realistic in terms of a fictional story. The outback is a harsh place, especially out in the Top End where isolation is a big part of life. Yet because of the setting’s inspiration, I think that it makes interactions with the land, both negative and positive, more heavily weighted adding impact. I wouldn’t want to be making the violence and troubles currently experienced in these lands trivial, it is truly only based on the landscape that I am drawn to these areas. The existence of the old roadhouse and structures like the above photo and creeks like the below photo are what drew me there.
Rapid Creek, outside of Alice Springs, not actually in the country where this is set but a good idea of what a creek would look like.
Stanley Kubrick framing.
I guess when I am writing, I write it through an American Western inspired lens which lends itself to the possibility of taking part in the “Cowboys vs Indians,” narrative but this isn’t a racial story. It’s just a town in an isolated, beautiful part of the country, that’s hard to police and seemingly unwillingly policed. And revenge, always revenge. Grant’s actions are typical of a Western Anti-Hero (a la Charles Bronson, Harmonica) as he lacks morals and he is frequently violent, yet his cause is revenge, a revenge we learn to hopefully get on board with.
Wes Anderson’s landscaping and symmetry
Dylan brought up the cinematography of landscape. I mentioned to him that I like the idea of creating a varying colour scheme as seen on my mood board. I also mentioned I like the idea of the expanding and condensing of shots based on environment. Open spaces will be shot wide, whereas creeks would be shot more intimately under the canopy of trees. Ideally, the mise en scene would be a Wes Anderson symmetrical experience (as above) mixed with western tropes. This would be complemented by him remaining centre screen in most shots like a Stanley Kubrick POV shooting style to create unease, having said that I tend to lean to Wes Anderson due to his more landscape oriented style when I write.
I have taken the criticism on board, despite being frustrated with the implication of not having a handle on the ethics by Smiljana. However, I can see now how it is, even if you have been thinking about it, great to dwell on the “what if I am offending.”