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Yolngu Homeland
The film is about Garrthalala as a place and how the community who live there are connected with other beings, including ancestors, animals and plants. Aboriginal people have lived in Arnhem Land for over 45,000 years. Over time they have developed a deep, spiritual connection with the land. Totemic beings of significance include the saltwater crocodile, crows, dogs and dingoes, crabs, sea eagles, turtles, and yams. The film follows ՚Yolngu time՚ where the pace is measured and not run according to the institutional timeframes of wider Australia. Homeland communities are increasingly under threat from a lack of financial support and investment into infrastructure from the State with a push for Yolngu to move into town centres, despite the fact that the quality of life on outstations is significantly better.
This film was inspired by Ian Dunlop’s collaborations with Yolngu during the Yirrkala Film Project series. The intention of Yolngu Homeland is to show a positive side to a homeland community and how living on the land is a means of maintaining a connection to Country, to other beings and to a unique way of life..
Natasha Fijn
Dr Natasha Fijn’s research engages with the exciting disciplines of visual anthropology and animal studies. Her ongoing interest is in cross-cultural perceptions and attitudes toward other animals; as well as the use of multimedia, particularly observational filmmaking, as an integral part of her research. Her current project engages with significant totemic animals to Yolngu in northeast Arnhem Land and how this relates to their engagement with animals. She also carries out research amongst nomadic herders and their herd animals in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia.
Filmography
2016 – Seal in the Kitchen (editor)
2016 – The Seal Hunt (editor)
2015 – Yolngu Homeland
2011 – Jack in Braidwood
2008 – Khangai Herds (series)
2003 – Kea: the smartest parrot? (scientific advisor, director assistant, additional camera and sound, script edit)
2002 – Ghosts of Gondwana (post-production research, director assistant)
2001 – Spiders: the ultimate guide (scientific advisor)
1999 – Spiders from Mars (scientific advisor)