Aboriginal documentary project
Children of the Rainbow Serpent: Aboriginal documentary
project
The inspiring documentary
Children of the Rainbow Serpent follows four young
Aboriginal people as they work with other international volunteers
on a community sustainable development project in rural India.
The film shows how the four Aboriginal volunteers - Trent,
Michael, Kelli and Lorelle - took up the challenge of working
within communities in the Tamil Nadu region in India. The
story-telling format of the film has the potential to inspire
similar community-based, youth-led volunteer sustainability
projects in Aboriginal Australia.
This documentary is the result of a collaborative partnership of
Australian Volunteers International (AVI), Volunteering SA &
NT, Volunteering SA & NT's Aboriginal Reference Group and
Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW) India.
Stay tuned for updates, as Children of the Rainbow Serpent will be
launching later in the year.
"In watching 'Children of the
Rainbow Serpent' I'm reminded of the philosophical riddle "If a
tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it
make a sound?" Every day in every part of the world there are
ordinary people achieving extraordinary things without any
motivation of being watched and rewarded. I feel privileged in
having watched this film. I feel moved in having felt this film.
Trees that fall to silent witness absolutely do make a sound. And
I'm thankful that so many people can share in the extraordinary
achievements of this worldwide volunteer organisation, this group
of selfless volunteers and this beautiful little village in
India."
- Andy Mullins, Film Producer
The
Aboriginal Documentary Project and AVI/SPW India Indigenous
Scholarship placements have been generously supported by the Melbourne Community
Foundation-Social Justice Fund, the Robert Christie Foundation,
Li'tya and
private donors.
Volunteer Biographies
Michael Galluzzo is a 22-year-old who is
described by colleagues as someone who is sensitive to the needs of
others, very warm, friendly and open with working with team
members. He is in his fourth year of an Arts/Law degree at the
Australian National University in Canberra. Michael is a member of
the national Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia and a
representative at the National Youth Roundtable. Michael strives
for team harmony and loves to inspire other people to achieve their
best, along with being driven by project outcomes for the whole
team. Michael is very proud of his heritage, with a Wiradjuri
mother from South Western NSW and a Calabrese father from southern
Italy.
Kelli Bartlett is a 22-year-old Yorta Yorta
woman who is active within her own community in Echuca, Victoria.
Kelli works for the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation while studying
Public Health and Health Promotion at Deakin University. Kelli
believes that young people can contribute to development by using
their own experiences, education and enthusiasm to grow life long
friendships in order to make a difference to people less fortunate.
Kelli is described by her colleagues as someone who is
self-motivated and very self-aware, who wants to do better for
herself and her community.
Trent Turner is 21 years old and plays football
professionally while studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree at
Adelaide University. From the Adnyamathanha people of the Northern
Flinders Rangers of South Australia, Trent is highly motivated and
a good team player. He is very keen to learn about different ways
of life first hand, and has very strong links to his own community
and family. Trent can be described by colleagues as someone who is
very determined to do well, while being quietly confident and
independent.
Lorelle Kennedy is 21 years old and currently
living in Tamworth NSW. Lorelle is a young Aboriginal Australian
mother who is passionate about identifying skills of young people
and developing their potential within her own community. She has
always felt drawn to international volunteering and was voted
"Trainee of the Year" in 2007. Lorelle has worked for the Tamworth
Regional Council, Tamworth Youth Centre and a local high school to
support young initiatives. Lorelle's colleagues describe her as
someone who is really driven to help and inspire young people
within her own community.
These four volunteers were selected from 25 applicants through
assessment of their key selection criteria responses, which
included identifying their understanding of teamwork, self
motivation, cross-cultural awareness, patience, adaptability and
their commitment to international volunteering and the experience
they can bring back to Australia.
Production Team
Hollie Fifer has just completed a Bachelor of
Film and Television at Swinburne University under the
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship, Hollie's passion lies in
documentaries. In her final year at Swinburne, Hollie was
offered an IDP Student Mobility Scholarship, where she studied at
Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK. She believes documentaries
are the perfect vehicle to learn about new cultures and break down
stereotypes. Previously she has tackled such topics as Aboriginal
women and their perspectives on past, present and future Australia,
to the drug and harm reduction plans currently working in
Melbourne's city alleyways. She hopes her efforts in doing this
will broaden education and help strengthen a more accepting global
community.
Stefan Markworth is a professional filmmaker
who has brought a great deal of filmmaking experience specifically
related to this project. He has lived and filmed in sensitive
places like Palestinian refugee camps. In 2005 Stefan won best
debut documentary director for his film Out of Place - Out of
Time at the New York International Independent Film and Video
Festival. He has travelled and filmed in India before and made
films with Indigenous communities here in Australia which was an
amazing connection for this project. He also has experience
mentoring people and in community cultural development work. Some
of the documentaries that Stefan has made have been broadcast on
the ABC as well as overseas.
Andy Mullins is a Melbourne-based film-maker
with directing, writing and producing credits on several short
films and one feature length documentary, Kanyini (2006). Kanyini
was distributed by Hopscotch in 2006 and has since won numerous
national and international awards, including:
- Winner - 2006 Inside Film Award Best Documentary
- Winner - 2006 Inside Film Award Independent Film Award (Best
Independent Film across all categories)
- Winner - 2006 London Australia Film Award Best Documentary
- Official Selection at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane International
Film Festivals
Outside of film interests, Andy is a director of
Melbourne-based hospitality group, Sand Hill Road. Andy is
providing expertise and support during pre-production, production
and post production of the documentary.
Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW) India is
part of an international federation under the umbrella of SPW
International, a global youth-led development organisation
established in 1985. SPW's long term work with communities has
enabled AVI Youth Volunteers to work with the tribal village of
Thandyan Kottai as part of a long term strategy to improve the
health, sanitation, life skills and livelihoods of the villagers
who are among the poorest of the poor in India. It is through the
relationship of trust and reciprocity that SPW and AVI staff and
volunteers have established over time that the community has agreed
to support the documentary being filmed.
http://www.spwindia.org/
Russell Smith is an Indigenous musician and
sound technician. He has worked with Hollie to capture the sound
recording in India. He also took his didgeridoo and let the
magic unfold whilst on set in India. He created the music score for
the film Kanyini and has a successful music career with
the Indigenous band, Brolga Boys. Brolga Boys' repertoire of rock,
alternative and soul tunes draws on themes of social justice,
Indigenous pride, storytelling and imagery based on our great
southern land. Russell has also shared his great talents for the
soundtrack for this film.
Volunteering SA & NT and the Aboriginal Reference
Group (ARG)
AVI also works in partnership with Volunteering SA & NT through
the direct support of Jo Larkin and the Aboriginal Reference Group,
a core advisory group of highly skilled and dedicated community
leaders from SA and NT. The members of the ARG are Bruce
Hammond, Ken Liddle, Maxine Turner, Herb Mack, Liz Hurrell, Lenore
Chantrelle, Fiona Stanley, Anna Caponi, and Jessica Koolmatrie. The
ARG support the opportunities being offered the Aboriginal
Australian young people to participate in the India project through
scholarships, to share their experiences though film, and to
contribute to the development of their home communities through the
application of their learnings upon their return.
http://www.volunteeringsa.org.au/
Aboriginal Reference
Group