Liyarn Ngarn by Steve Hawke - Movie Review Example

Liyarn Ngarn by Steve Hawke 2007 Documentary, Australia Introduction ‘Liyarn Ngarn’ (2007) a touching documentary is a jewel in Australia’s crown of films. This compelling documentary was put together by the renowned award winning director Martin Mhando. Starring in the movie is Pete Postlethwaite, a popular English actor, Patrick Dodson, a highly respected indigenous leader and Archie Roach, an indigenous singer and songwriter. The primary aim of Lyarn Ngarn was a bold attempt to change the perception of people towards the indigenous race. ‘Liyarn Ngarn’ centers around the Yawuru community who resided in the West Kimberly region and is a compilation of individual stories that were packed with incidents and events of discrimination and injustice, meted out to the indigenous people of the Yawuru community. Postlethwaite’s friend is Bill Johnson whose son, an adopted Aboriginal was brutally murdered because of the color of his skin. This painful and pathetic narration pierces the heart of the audience and mixed feelings of both pain and anger remain with them long after the film ends. In the Yawuru language ‘Liyarn Ngarn’ means ‘Coming together of the Spirit’ (Spiritual bonding) which epitomizes Dodson’s attempt at a true and lasting reconciliation. Powerful lyrics penned by Archie Roach, are very inspiring and add great strength and meaning to the film. The documentary also aimed at assisting in the reconciliation process between the original settlers of the country and the immigrants who came later. It also provides a very meaningful epitaph for the lost lives of the indigenous people through sheer inhumanity. According to Roscoe and Hight: 2001, a documentary attempts to “present itself as being engaged in a coherent project, that of objectively recording reality.” (Roscoe and Hight: 2001, p.7) It also makes use of constructive narrative intertwined with a bit of fiction, especially when there are no direct witnesses, but keeps strictly to reality in its portrayal. In this respect, Liyarn Ngarn is in complete documentary style in the style it is written and presented. It closely follows the cinematic film codes without disturbing the authenticity of the background and its characters. One of the key codes used in the film is the realistic presentation of the lives of its characters and the environment in which they lived. This compelling documentary speaks of the widespread devastation meted out to the indigenous people in every aspect of their daily lives through the sheer hatred and inhumanity of people. The realistic representation of the injustices the Aboriginal people had to face and the powerful lyrics of the songs and dialogues carry its audiences on a painful and inspiring journey of courage and strength. Another of the important documentary codes used in the film is voice over. Powerful dialogues and song lyrics were compiled and rendered by well known singer and songwriter Archie Roach whose narration and singing served to lend great authenticity to the documentary. Being an indigenous person himself, he was quite capable of bringing out the essence of the lives and trials of the Aboriginal people. Liyarn Ngarn is also considered to be a meaningful farewell tribute to the many indigenous lives that were lost in the wake of sheer inhumanity. One such life was that of Louis St. John who was Bill Johnson’s adopted son and another was an Aboriginal poet Robbie Walker, who tragically lost his life in the Fremantle Jail. In the case of Louis, a young indigenous man of nineteen years, who had gone in search of his family by birth, and tragically lost his life in a racially motivated thrashing which took place on his 19th birthday just before his dream could be realized. This documentary portrays the story of Patrick Dodson, in a battle that lasted for over 30 years, in which he strived to bring about the true and lasting reconciliation between the traditional owners of the land and the immigrants who came to settle there. He very much wanted to put an end to the hatred and controversies faced by the Aboriginals due to constant inflow of immigrants. One of the very important documentary codes used to bring about social change is the realistic portrayal of the Aborigines through the representation of its characters and the harsh lives they have led. Liyarn Ngarn was successful in kindling a spiritual bonding in the hearts of its audience through a process of understanding and reconciliation. The chief purpose of this film by the indigenous Yawuru leader, Patrick Dodson, was the culmination of his 30 year long mission with an aim to change people’s perceptions, thoughts and ideas of the indigenous race and bring about a genuine and lasting reconciliation between the immigrants and the original settlers. Documentaries in general have carved a privileged niche for themselves for the fact that they are capable of presenting realistic, authentic, truthful and accurate portrayal of people and incidents as they had taken place. The success of Liyarn Ngarn relies on the fact that it satisfied this point completely by depicting a truthful and realistic portrayal of the socio – historical background of the treacherous lives led by the marginalized Aboriginals. However, Liyarn Ngarn makes use of a bit of Docu- drama because it had to portray areas of human experience where certain parts of the documentary could not be covered by mere narration, especially in parts where the witnesses or direct record of incidents were absent. For example, depicting the sufferings and discrimination of the Aboriginal people and the injustice meted out to them. Documentaries can be both subjective and objective – subjectivity pertains to the knowledge of occurrences and incidents as they are observed or perceived and objectivity is based on the reality of facts and objects that are independent of the mind. Liyarn Ngarn makes use of both these techniques. In certain parts the documentary is objective where it portrays the real facts and real life incidents with real people reporting on the harsh realities and tragic incidents they underwent or had to face during their lives. In parts, where direct witnesses were not available, they relied on strong narration to portray certain facts. For example, the deaths of nineteen year old Louis St. John who tragically died due to racism and the sad death of Robbie Walker an Aboriginal poet in the Fremantle prison. These tragic incidents are very well brought out through the narrative dialogues and song lyrics of Archie Roach because they are filled with the pain and suffering of the Aboriginal people who were discriminated and segregated just because of the dark color of their skin. Documentaries are usually very powerful and persuasive due to the mechanics, rhetoric and reality made use of in the representation of people and their lives as they had lived. They have carved for themselves the privileged position due to the claim that they present the most truthful and accurate details of the lives of people in a socio- historical world. From an audience point of view, they feel encouraged to accept these facts and claims that are presented in a documentary, without even questioning it, due to its powerful appeal and convincing and persuasive style. In this respect, the documentary Liyarn Ngarn impressed the millions who had seen it and left a deep impression in their minds. The film also served to be so compelling and persuasive in its portrayal of the gruesome facts involving tragic incidents that occurred. However, some people measure or gauge the authenticity of realism made use of in a documentary based on previous fictional accounts that they remember from similar genres. Documentaries are of different kinds which include Expository where a voice-over that is convincing and persuasive is made use of in direct relation to its audience and uses text and images to shape and present an incident or argument. In an observational type of documentary, the focus is not on the social actors of the film that takes the viewer on a journey of differential dimension through observation of the events presented before them. Liyarn Ngarn makes use of code of interaction for its filmmaking as it portrays images of testimony and demonstration in the narration of real people and real life incidents that occurred within the Aboriginal community. The chief techniques used in representing these facts and forging communication are Juxtaposition of images and good editing. The interactive technique serves to draw the actors and the filmmaker in a close and direct encounter with each other and this makes the documentary for compelling and appealing to the audience. Since it is interactive it kindles their interest in a much deeper sense than just listening and observing. Hence Liyarn Ngarn was a huge success as soon as it was released. It immediately set the stage for a social change with different organizations and groups raising their voices and taking up the cause of the discrimination of the Aboriginal community in a huge way. In a performative type of documentary, objectivity is rejected in favor of the subjective where selection is limited to lay more emphasis on truth and reality. On the other hand, a documentary that uses the technique of reflexivity lays more emphasis on the filmmaker and its audience rather than on the filmmaker and the subject and it also serves to portray the limitations of the film where its neutral stance is concerned. However, in a participatory type of documentary, the professional crew has to disempower themselves from their skills and lend themselves totally to only what is required of them. Liyarn Ngarn, is a documentary that makes Australia proud even to this day because it served to bring about a huge social change by bringing about a change in the perception, thoughts and attitudes of people with regard to the Aboriginal people. The documentary was indeed a turning point that sparked off controversy and action among different groups and organizations who raised their voices against the poor treatment of the Aboriginal people. The documentary was revolutionary in it portrayal of gruesome facts and harsh reality of Aboriginal life and served to be a pioneer in setting the stage for a more amicable and peaceful life. References Bryan Dawe Presents ‘Liyarn Ngarn’ www.acmi.net.au/aust_bryan_dawe_presents.aspx Read More

The realistic representation of the injustices the Aboriginal people had to face and the powerful lyrics of the songs and dialogues carry its audiences on a painful and inspiring journey of courage and strength. Another of the important documentary codes used in the film is voice over. Powerful dialogues and song lyrics were compiled and rendered by well known singer and songwriter Archie Roach whose narration and singing served to lend great authenticity to the documentary. Being an indigenous person himself, he was quite capable of bringing out the essence of the lives and trials of the Aboriginal people.

Liyarn Ngarn is also considered to be a meaningful farewell tribute to the many indigenous lives that were lost in the wake of sheer inhumanity. One such life was that of Louis St. John who was Bill Johnson’s adopted son and another was an Aboriginal poet Robbie Walker, who tragically lost his life in the Fremantle Jail. In the case of Louis, a young indigenous man of nineteen years, who had gone in search of his family by birth, and tragically lost his life in a racially motivated thrashing which took place on his 19th birthday just before his dream could be realized.

This documentary portrays the story of Patrick Dodson, in a battle that lasted for over 30 years, in which he strived to bring about the true and lasting reconciliation between the traditional owners of the land and the immigrants who came to settle there. He very much wanted to put an end to the hatred and controversies faced by the Aboriginals due to constant inflow of immigrants. One of the very important documentary codes used to bring about social change is the realistic portrayal of the Aborigines through the representation of its characters and the harsh lives they have led.

Liyarn Ngarn was successful in kindling a spiritual bonding in the hearts of its audience through a process of understanding and reconciliation. The chief purpose of this film by the indigenous Yawuru leader, Patrick Dodson, was the culmination of his 30 year long mission with an aim to change people’s perceptions, thoughts and ideas of the indigenous race and bring about a genuine and lasting reconciliation between the immigrants and the original settlers. Documentaries in general have carved a privileged niche for themselves for the fact that they are capable of presenting realistic, authentic, truthful and accurate portrayal of people and incidents as they had taken place.

The success of Liyarn Ngarn relies on the fact that it satisfied this point completely by depicting a truthful and realistic portrayal of the socio – historical background of the treacherous lives led by the marginalized Aboriginals. However, Liyarn Ngarn makes use of a bit of Docu- drama because it had to portray areas of human experience where certain parts of the documentary could not be covered by mere narration, especially in parts where the witnesses or direct record of incidents were absent.

For example, depicting the sufferings and discrimination of the Aboriginal people and the injustice meted out to them. Documentaries can be both subjective and objective – subjectivity pertains to the knowledge of occurrences and incidents as they are observed or perceived and objectivity is based on the reality of facts and objects that are independent of the mind. Liyarn Ngarn makes use of both these techniques. In certain parts the documentary is objective where it portrays the real facts and real life incidents with real people reporting on the harsh realities and tragic incidents they underwent or had to face during their lives.

In parts, where direct witnesses were not available, they relied on strong narration to portray certain facts. For example, the deaths of nineteen year old Louis St. John who tragically died due to racism and the sad death of Robbie Walker an Aboriginal poet in the Fremantle prison. These tragic incidents are very well brought out through the narrative dialogues and song lyrics of Archie Roach because they are filled with the pain and suffering of the Aboriginal people who were discriminated and segregated just because of the dark color of their skin.

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