Happy New Year peoples! Haven't been around for a while. Sandra from Sydney posted me this and I tossed up whether I should comment or not. I'm with Germaine on this one. Indigenous people of the region have had to argue for many years for wages for their work in this conflict and have only recently had this demand recognised. Unions at the time were totally opposed to any wage for Indigenous people, let alone an equal one. Lousy little sixpence was still, in very many cases, the rule of the day. One perspective you'll never hear of.
Oh, Indigenous rather than Aboriginal as an ongoing confirmation of the lie of Terra Nullius. We did not come here; we are not a sub-tribe of Indonesia. We have always been here. Therefore we are Indigenous, not Aboriginal (aboriginal as the colonialists put it).

Entertainment for so long has been the vehicle of a warped perspective of history (the warped perspective is if you are the 'other' of course). Entertainment encapsulates imagination, and imagination has necessarily, to be free of those constrictions that demand 'authenticity' or 'truth' perhaps? An interesting and ongoing discussion in my opinion. But where imagination denies a history it makes those living on the 'other' side of history invisible; takes away their human experience (ie like arguments of the holocaust "the holocaust is an American construction!! It did not happen!!").

Australia as a nationa (once again in my humble opinion) is on the cusp of a really important different national future from the one that was written a couple of years ago amazingly enough, and I guess it might be nice if our stories, imaginery or otherwise, encompassed this in it's imagination and culture. I suppose without encompassing it, it continues to be pulled back to an awful past that really, none of us wants. So far as the story of "Australia" goes, I am an awful cynic and am quite tired of romantic twaddle. Jackman is gorgeous as is our Nicole - who would wish them anything but luck? The scenery is indeed awe inspiring but do we need a movie to know that? There are so very many artists, photographers, dancers, story-tellers in this country, that have been telling and showing us this for so long. Is "Australia" part of an Australian movie industry? Sorry, nah. Is Baz Luhman and his wonderful designer wife worth it? Most certainly - every time. Hats off for the effort, but the critical eye, critical ear, and a guardedness against sentimentality is a wonderful thing methinks.