Title Sons of Namatjira [from the AIATSIS collection]

Published Ronin Films, 1975

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Kanopy

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Description 1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 47 min.) Summary Sons of Namatjira examines the relationship between a community of Aboriginal artists and the outside world. Keith Namatjira is the son of the celebrated artist Albert Namatjira, and emulates his father's distinctive style. He lives with his family in the same camp that his father had established on the outskirts of Alice Springs in Central Australia. One of Curtis Levy's finest documentaries, Sons of Namatjira, follows Keith and his wife, Isabel, and other relatives, in their interactions with the wider world including art galleries in town and bus-loads of middle-aged tourists from the big cities. The film highlights communication difficulties between black and white, and in Levy's terms, becomes a parable of black-white relations in Australia. Tourists and dealers drive out to the artists' camp to bargain with the artists in person. Keith feels pressured to accept their offers but dreams that one day he will own his own gallery, so that his family can make a decent living from their work. In addition, Keith has other pressures: he has to go to court on a charge of drink-driving, whilst at the same time working with a legal-aid officer on a claim for the land they are living on. He and his family are worried that their land will be swamped by the urban development they can see closing in around them. This sympathetic portrait of a tiny community of Aboriginal artists is rich in Levy's characteristic humour and sense of irony. It was the last of Levy's films for AIAS before he returned to independent production, and remains one of the Film Unit's most widely seen works Notes Title from title frames Event Originally produced by Ronin Films in 1975 Subject Namatjira, Keith Artists -- Australia Aboriginal Australians -- Australia -- Northern Territory -- Social conditions Painting, Aboriginal Australian -- Australia -- Northern Territory Aranda (Australian people) Aboriginal Australians -- Australia -- Northern Territory -- Economic conditions Aboriginal Australians -- Australia -- Northern Territory -- Ethnic identity Painting, Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians -- Economic conditions Aboriginal Australians -- Ethnic identity Aboriginal Australians -- Social conditions Aranda (Australian people) Artists Race relations SUBJECT Australia -- Race relations Northern Territory -- Race relations Subject Australia Northern Territory Genre/Form documentary film. Nonfiction films Internet videos Documentary films Made-for-TV movies Documentary films. Made-for-TV movies. Nonfiction films. Internet videos. Documentaires. Téléfilms. Films autres que de fiction. Vidéos sur Internet. Form Streaming video Author Levy, Curtis. Namatjira, Keith Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. Kanopy (Firm)

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