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

Two names used for characters ("Baldwin Ferguson" and "Miss Strehlow") provide links with anthropologists noted for their work on Australian aborigines. Baldwin Spencer (1860-1929) was a British-Australian anthropologist who did pioneering studies on aborigines. Theodor George Henry Strehlow (1908-1978) was noted for his studies on the Arunta/ Arende people of Central Australia.

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Quotes

Miliritbi: You white men are lost. You don't understand the land. Too many silly questions. Your presence on this earth will come to an end. You have no sense. No purpose. No direction.

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Connections

Referenced in Atomic Footprints (2007)

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Soundtracks

Wesendonk-Leider
Music by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

Another Herzog masterpiece

Some idiot claims that this movie is horrible but I would argue that this he/she is mistaken. None of the dialog is improvised though the performances are raw which the previous reviewer might be confusing with improvisation. Most fans of Herzog are also aware that Herzog's dialog is highly stylized and often surreal which may, to close minded people, be misconstrued as trite or childish. Perhaps it is something one has to get used to or maybe Herzog films are best left to those who are willing to view something out of the ordinary. Of course, not everyone will like everything, but opinions that are expressed should only come from people who are informed as an uninformed opinion is like showing a dog a card trick.