Selling Yarns 3

Weaving the nation's story

 

Inaugural film program at the National Museum of Australia

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Sunday 3 March 2013 10.30am to 4:00pm – Inaugural film program

Selling Yarns 3 is proud to announce the inaugural fibre art film program complementing the conference and workshop programs. The film screenings are free and will be held at the National Museum of Australia Visions Theatre on Sunday 3 March 2013 from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Films from a variety of genres including documentaries, animation, and experimental video will be screened covering four countries Australia, New Zealand, East Timor and USA. The films will provide insights into Indigenous fibre art and its makers and set in scene some of the artistic practices discussed and demonstrated during the four-day event.

Time Presentation
Time: 10:30 am The Making of Skins Cloak (2013), Australia
Synopsis: Possum skin cloaks have become a Koorie symbol for marking broader regional identity. Telling this story has been made possible through the long-term collaboration with Vicki Couzens and Maree Clarke. Skins Cloak focuses on the cloaks' relationship to twenty-two of their owners, from birth to death. The co-authored script is focussed on the way a women's craft is made significant to the politics of history and authenticity in contemporary artistic discourse.

Ethnic group(s): Koori people, NSW
Director(s): Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll and Alex Schweder with Vicki Couzens, Maree Clarke and Lee Darroch, Humboldt University Berlin
Q&A session: Meet Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll, Vicki Couzens, Maree Clarke and Lee Darroch with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 10:52 am Indigi Glass '08 Postcards from the Referendum - NAIDOC Week Exhibition (2008), Australia
Synopsis: Four Aboriginal artists present their creative responses to the 1969 Referendum 40 years on. Part of this film shows the collective weaving of the Nation's Song Cycle, where the four artists weave their countries into the one collaborative work.

Ethnic group(s): Arrernte, Wathaurong, Ainawan/Gamilaroi, Wiradjuri people
Director(s): Jack Lloyd, Louisa Pauletto

Time: 11:03 am Glass Weave (2012), Australia
Synopsis: Glass Weave features interviews with Aboriginal glass artist Jenni Kemarre Martiniello about her process of 'weaving' glass. Her hot blown glass works are inspired by traditional woven eel traps, fish traps and dillibags.

Ethnic group(s): Arrernte people
Director(s): Marissa MacDowell
Q&A session: Meet the glass artists with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 11:26 am Kahu Ora – Living Cloaks (2011), New Zealand
Synopsis: A compilation of short films introducing the Kahu Ora - Living Cloaks exhibition at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, including films about the significance of historic kiwi feather cloaks from the Trikatene family; Hokimate Harwood is identifying feathers in historic cloaks; Rene Te Kanawa speaks about the conservation of cloaks and master weaver Erenora Puketapu-Hetet discusses aspects of cloak weaving.

Ethnic group(s): Maori people
Director(s): Prue Donals, Norman Heke
Q&A session: Meet Awhina Tamarapa with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 11:53 am Sneaking a Stitch (2011), Australia
Synopsis: This film documents the knowledge and weaving talents of Aboriginal women from communities along the Murray River in the areas of northeast Victoria and southern New South Wales. Learn about environmental issues threatening their traditional resources, the challenges of passing on their knowledge of weaving to future generations and be inspired by the enthusiasm of these women to keep this ancient craft going.

Ethnic group(s): Wiradjuri, Wamba Wamba/Perrepa Perrepa, Yorta Yorta people, NSW
Director(s): Richard McTernan
Q&A session: Meet artists from the Murray River region with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 12:11 pm Procesu Soru Tais iha Marobo / Making Textiles in Marobo (2013), East Timor
Synopsis: The film features Milena dos Santos as she demonstrates the process of making a handwoven tais (ikat textile) in Atu Aben village, Marobo. Marobo is well known for its indigo and mud dye cloths that result in distinctive, elegant, and black hand spun tais. Milena demonstrates hand spinning of locally grown cotton. She collects specific plants and materials used in natural dyeing processes in Marobo for yellow, red, blue and black threads. Milena demonstrates all stages of the spinning, ikat, dyeing and weaving process.

Ethnic group(s): Kemak people, Marobo, Bobonaro District
Director(s): Joanna Barrkman
Q&A session: Meet Joanna Barrkman and Anne Finch with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 1:38 pm Inkerr anyent-antey (2010), Australia
Synopsis: The documentary covers the exhibition 'The language of Batik' in the small community of Utopia, northeast of Alice Springs. It shows the connection between the country, plants, their medicinal uses and how it is translated into batik art. This film is the product of collaboration between students studying language and arts courses at Batchelor Institute, Northern Territory in 2010.

Ethnic group(s): Alyawarr and Anmatyerr people, Alice Springs, NT
Director(s): Gail Woods, Jenny Taylor, Margaret Carew

Time: 1:53 pm Guraramburrk - the cheeky dog (2005), Australia
Synopsis: This film presents the making of a giant dog, Guraramburrk, in the traditional fibre technique of twining pandanus fibres. Lena Yarinkura, the inventor of Arnhem Land fibre sculptures in this technique, and husband Bob Burruwal collaborate in the making process. The story of the dog belongs to their country in central Arnhem Land and is told by Lena Yarinkura.

Ethnic group(s): Kune and Rembarrnga people, Maningrida Region, NT
Director(s): Christiane Keller
Q&A session: Meet Christiane Keller with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 2:19 pm Merrepen - Dilly Bag Weaving (2005), Australia
Synopsis: The Merrepen palm tree is a life source for the people of the Daly River region. On this adventure you will discover the colourful and humorous character of various Aboriginal women from the Nauiyu Community on the Daly River. A group of traditional women take us into their country to gather the precious Merrepen leaves and berries. Merrepen leaves are stripped, dyed with other roots and berries and dried and then intricately hand woven to make incredibly versatile dilly bags and baskets. The women develop their objects working together at the Merrepen Arts Centre in the Nauiyu Community.

Ethnic group(s): Ngan'gikurunggurr and Ngan'giwumerri people, Nauiyu Nambiu, NT
Director(s): Steven McGregor
Q&A session: Meet artists from Nauiyu with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 2:47 pm Antanette and Tom (2011), Australia
Synopsis: Come and discover what goes on in the YarrenytyArltere Art Room through the eyes of Annatnette and Tom. This short soft sculpture animation shows with humour and warmth why the art room is so important to the members of the Larapinta Valley Town Camp. Made at the YarrenytyArltere Learning Centre by artists and residences in conjunction with the multi media room, this little film is an insight into a dynamic and vibrant art centre in the heart of Alice Springs.

Ethnic group(s): Western Arrernte and Luritja people, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Director(s): Adrian Warburton

Time: 2:50 pm Little Dingi (2012), Australia
Synopsis: Little Dingi is the second soft sculpture animation made by artists and residences at the YarrenytyArltere Learning Centre (YALC). An insightful look into an aspect of life in Alice Springs, this short film is rich in language, culture and humour.

Ethnic group(s): Western Arrernte and Luritja people, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Director(s): Loretta Banks, Adrian Warburton
Q&A session: Meet Yarrenyty Arltere artists and Sophie Wallace with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 3"00 pm Tjanpi Nyawa! Look at the Grass! (2012), Australia
Synopsis: Tjanpi Nyawa! Look at the Grass! captures the multi-sensory experiences of Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Aboriginal fibre artists who work mainly with grass, wool and raffia. It portrays the integration of this more recently developed artistic expression within desert culture and captures the atmosphere of sociality of these women seldom seen in Australian films. The viewers are engaged in Indigenous fibre-making processes with the aim to heighten the awareness of a range of sensory experiences and their importance and meaning within desert culture. The film provides a voice to Indigenous fibre artists to promote and share their knowledge and culture.

Ethnic group(s): Anangu people, WA
Director(s): Christiane Keller
Q&A session: Meet Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Christiane Keller and Jo Foster with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 3:31 pm Making of the Young Man and the Ghost Net (2011), Australia
Synopsis: It's October 2010 and St Pauls village on Moa Island celebrates not only the first puppet show of its kind in the Torres Strait but the first puppet show ever made out of ghost nets and marine debris. The film shows sections of the puppet show interspersed with footage of the making processes and commentary of locals involved.

Ethnic group(s): Torres Strait Islander people, Moa Island, QLD
Director(s): Corey Austin, Visual Obsession
Q&A session: Meet Moa Islanders and Sue Ryan with the opportunity to ask questions.

Time: 3:56 pm Arcorn Processing Today (2013), USA
Synopsis: The film demonstrates how acorn processing is done in todays Central California. Acorns were a staple of the Indigenous Californian diet and baskets were needed for their processing. This film shows traditional and different contemporary processing technologies and explains how old and new methods are used to pass down the tradition to the next generation.

Ethnic group(s): North Fork, Central California
Director(s): Jessica Einhorn
Q&A session: Meet Lois Conner and Jessica Einhorn with the opportunity to ask questions.

The Australian National University, Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre, National Museum of Australia

Selling Yarns 3 is a Centenary of Canberra project, proudly supported by the ACT Government and the Australian Government.