Spear

Synopsis: A young indigenous man, Djali (Hunter Page-Lochard) moves from the Australian outback to the urban streets of Sydney and along the way tries to reconcile the ancient traditions of his people with the modern world.

Spear is neither a film about dance nor a dance created for film but rather an enigmatic and exquisitely beautiful combination of both, created by Stephen Page who has been artistic director of the indigenous dance company, Bangarra, for more than 20 years. Page and his co-writer, Justin Monjo, have transformed a 40-minute dance work into a feature film with a measure of narrative but little dialogue. What they have created is something truly unique.  

From its opening with the dancers spectacularly-arranged against a wild shoreline to the closing dance by an urban harbour setting, Page explores many of the issues facing indigenous people today  - racial prejudice, petrol sniffing, endemic violence, the disproportionate number of jailings and so on, as well as the role of elders in helping the young to find their place in the world.

Many of the well-known members of the Bangarra dance company are in the film, as well as some notable additions: Troy Honeysett, a dancer before taking up acting, impresses as a white man taking on the customs of the indigenous world. Notable in a strong and poignant performance is Aaron Pederson as the Suicide Man, a chronic drunk and reminder of the  problems of alcohol in many urban Aboriginal lives.  Linking all the characters, whether as onlooker or participant, and on screen for most of the film is the talented Page-Lochard, the director’s son.

But over-and above the subject matter what impresses about this film is that it is stunningly and exquisitely beautiful with Page understanding how to use film to enhance his production. Special effects that could not be a part of a live stage performance are incorporated and every shot with its mise en scène, gorgeous palette and, of course, the confronting beauty of the lithe dancers, looks simply luminous. The music by David Page is both moving and a perfect match for the film’s content.

Spear will resonate most with balletomanes but dance fan or not no-one can fail to recognise that this is a ground-breaking film and an important milestone for indigenous culture in Australia.

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