Not a lot is known of the difficulties encountered by Australian and British scientists in 1964 while attempting to clear the impact point of the ill-fated Blue Streak missile of people. Even the educated whites who were exploring for oil refused to move out until they were forced to. Contacting the black people was almost given up, as the natives used their knowledge of the land to avoid the searchers. They thought the whites would eat them; the vehicles they used were 'monsters'. Eventually, contact was made, but only after the natives had run out of food and allowed the whites to feed them and escort them to a safer place. This film relies heavily on Peter Morton's 'Fire across the Desert', and the compilation of old amateur footage and some official material. The fascinating commentary by Yuwali who had been a baby when the missiles were fired is truly compelling. One can ignore the imaginative inaccuracies in the concocted story (I wonder if the Aborigines were 'having a lend' of the film-makers), and the sometimes clumsy technical work, but the old and the new are blended well enough. The film does not cover the deaths, or the leprosy, or explain why the aboriginal men had left the women and children to fend for themselves. But this is a film to watch and enjoy and to learn from.
2 Reviews
Wonderfull insight into the way things were.
Nemesis4220 February 2021
A deep look into the emotions of a beautiful woman whom was one of the last people to be found living the old ways. The documentary focuses on this lady.There is secondary focus upon one of the more understanding whites who was trying to deal with their transition, and a few other first peoples views. She was 17 at the time of the transition, and the mob of 20 went through a terrifying ordeal.
It is interesting to see they had domesticated the dingoes, and that their main fear was of being eaten by the vehicles and white demons. This is fair enough, because they were eating beings of lesser power, the bush animals, and they saw the white people as more powerful than them. Thus their logic was sound.
This documentary has a wonderfull soundscape and score, and is well edited with nicely treated images. So perfect.
It is interesting to see they had domesticated the dingoes, and that their main fear was of being eaten by the vehicles and white demons. This is fair enough, because they were eating beings of lesser power, the bush animals, and they saw the white people as more powerful than them. Thus their logic was sound.
This documentary has a wonderfull soundscape and score, and is well edited with nicely treated images. So perfect.
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