Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)

A geologist employed by an Australian mining company finds himself disputing the rights of some aborigines who believe their land to be sacred.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Werner Herzog, Bob Ellis (additional dialogue)

Stars:

Bruce Spence, Wandjuk Marika, Roy Marika

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Spence	...	Lance Hackett
Wandjuk Marika	...	Miliritbi
Roy Marika	...	Dayipu
Ray Barrett	...	Cole
Norman Kaye	...	Baldwin Ferguson
Ralph Cotterill	...	Fletcher
Nick Lathouris	...	Arnold
Basil Clarke	...	Judge Blackburn
Ray Marshall	...	Solicitor General Coulthard
Dhungala I. Makika
Gary Williams	...	Watson
Tony Llewellyn-Jones	...	Fitzsimmons
Robert Brissenden
Michael Edols	...	Young attorney
Bob Ellis	...	Supermarket manager

Storyline

The geologist Lance Hackett is employed by an Australian mining company to map the subsoil of a desert area covered with ant hills prior to a possible uranium extraction. His work is impeded by some aborigines who explain that this is the place where the green ants dream. Disturbing their dreaming will destroy humanity they claim. Hackett informs the company which offers various "solutions" such as a large amount of money or a percentage of a possible revenue. Invited on a trip to a city some of the aborigines sees a military aeroplane and express the wish to own it. The company buys it and gives it to the aborigines as a sign of good will. A runway is made in the desert and the plane is flown to the location. All negotiations concerning the area fail and the dispute goes to a court of the Commonwealth. Parties and experts are heard, obstacles are met such as an aborigine who is the sole survivor of his tribe (and language) and therefore no-one understands what he is saying. Two of ...

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Plot Keywords:

australian aborigine | trial | legality | ant | plane | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

West Germany Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Where the Green Ants Dream

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pro-ject Filmproduktion, Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Werner Herzog: the lawyer that shakes Hackett's hand outside of the court room when the trial is over.

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Quotes

Lance Hackett: The situation, your Honor, is this man is the the sacred custodian to the secrets of this tribe. And his tribe has died out. He is the sole and final survivor of his people, his clan. They call him the mute, because there is nobody left on this earth for him to speak with.

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Connections

Referenced in Atomic Footprints (2007)

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Soundtracks

Temporary Galaxies
Music by Klaus-Jochen Wiese

User Reviews

Travails With My Ant

I hadn't thought that Herzog was capable of making a good film without Kinski, only some pretentious artsy thing like Heart of Glass.

Well, Green Ants proves me wrong. This is a great film that shows the conflict between white and aboriginal civilizations without being sentimental or condescending to either side. With Hollywood we'd some cliché about noble savages and suchlike, but here you get the feeling of dealing with real human beings.

Oh yeah, the plot deals with an Australian mining company that wants to blow up a sacred site to do mineral exploitation. Herzog avoids stereotyped poses to bring out the situation as it would occur in real life. Plus you get some great shots of the outback.

I plan to lend this one to all my aboriginal friends!