Ten Canoes Text Response Essay Keira Humphrey 9H LAS

The film text Ten Canoes, directed by Rolf deHeer is an artistic movie created about the people of
the Arafura Swamp. The director has designed this film to portray the way in which some Australian
tribal societies once lived. By doing this he has cleverly depicted the culture, laws and community
stories of the Arafura Swamp people. This film creates powerful imagery from the past. Ten canoes
creates a record for people to understand and appreciate the ways of ancient Australian culture;
perhaps a way for them to connect back to their ancestors.
Throughout the movie the cultural aspect of the film is strong. The manner in which the characters
dress, talk and act gives the audience a detailed idea of the tribal practices and beliefs. Ceremonial
practices are prevalent and are of great importance in Aboriginal society; by highlighting these, the
director was able to create a deeper look into the background of various cultural situations. The
understanding of cultural practices allows the audience a unique insight into the world of the tribal
Australia. Certain rituals and practices like the death dance represent the importance of respect and
the journey to the afterlife. The depiction of the ceremonies and images in the film allows the
audience an opportunity to truly grasp the meaning of Aboriginal culture and understanding.
The film beautifully captures the laws and customs of the Arafura Swamp people. Aboriginal people
believe that the ancestral spirits arranged the earth by creating people, animals and plants; these
were all put in their respective places according to the land forms and spirits surrounding them.
Certain ceremonies ensure the vital components of this law and The Dreaming stay intact. These
ancestral spirits made rules and laws to govern the land, its people, animals and plants. If life on
earth was to continue, these rules would need to be followed.
The film draws a connection from our 21
st
century world concept of the environmental preservation
to the concept of balance in nature in Aboriginal culture. This connection also illustrates a time
where the people worked together for the survival of The Dreaming; a way to keep the balance in
order. Ten Canoes outlines the importance of these rules, through the different customs shown in
the film. An example of this is the spearing and the passing down of the dead brothers wives. This
was able to give the audience an even broader appreciation.
The importance of storytelling is a major factor that is displayed in Ten Canoes. In Aboriginal culture
the telling of stories is of great significance as it keeps the ways of the past alive; specifically they
ritually recreate Dreamtime events in order to establish and maintain contact with their spirit
ancestors. Spiritual and ritual practices are an integral part of Aboriginal culture and relevant to all
aspects of living therefore it is believed to be necessary for both physical and spiritual survival. This
is shown through the story for Dayindi. Dayindi is told a story from the Dreamtime which relates to
his current situation. Through the entire film Dayindi was told of a boy who needed to learn patience
so he could have the woman he wanted.
By showing all of these different aspects in the film the audience was able to understand the old
ways and appreciate Aboriginal cultures and beliefs. By also creating certain situations that relate
and have parallels to modern day society, the audience who were watching are able to comprehend
these rules, and intertwine them into their own thoughts and modern lives, in turn creating a
pathway for these past customs to remain alive.