Faces in the Sun
| Faces in the Sun | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Cecil Holmes |
| Written by | Cecil Holmes |
| Produced by | Richard Mason |
| Cinematography | Bryce Higgins |
Release date |
|
Running time | 34 min |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Faces in the Sun is a 1965 Australian documentary film made by Cecil Holmes. It looks at four Aborigines, Garwin, Gwiwinga, Stephen and Djawa, trying to adapt to European ways while keeping their old ways.[1][2][3] It was filmed (alongside a second film, The Modern Missionary) in the Arnhem Land for the Methodist Overseas Mission.[4]
The Canberra Times TV critic John Howard objected to the portrayal of the subjects being "people with problems" writing "they remained, in this film, their problems. Not ours even when, as in the case of Stephen the carpenter, the "problem" was one of not having enough money to buy food for himself and his family - having been deprived of his tribal hunting grounds with the advent of the white man."[5] The Age's Teletopics column said "it niggled at the conscience as it showed four Aborigines aware of their past, but unsure of their future."[6]
The film won one of the two Gold Medals given out at the 1965 Australian Film Institute Awards, winning in the General category.[7][8][9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "TV Film Shows up Problems", The Age, 24 February 1965
- ↑ "Award-Winning Aboriginal Documentary", The Age, 8 July 1965
- ↑ "Faces in the sun", ACMI
- ↑ "Filming in Arnhem Land 'hard work'", The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 1963
- ↑ Howard, John (13 July 1965), "An immoral portrayal", The Canberra Times
- ↑ "Teletopics", The Age, 20 July 1967
- ↑ "Praise for Australian film award winners". The Canberra Times. Vol. 39, no. 11, 161. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 May 1965. p. 17. Retrieved 31 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Yardstick for awards". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 22 May 1965. p. 23.
- ↑ "Winners & Nominees".