Ten Canoes

"It's a good story. Not like your story, but a good story all the same." Australian film legend and Aboriginal cultural treasure David Gulpilil narrates this mythological tale, told by a village elder to his younger brother over the course of a long hunt in the swamplands of Northern Australia 1,000 years ago. Director Rolf de Heer collaborates with first-time director Peter Djigirr and the people of the Arafura swamp region for the story, and the film reflects that collaboration with a patient narrative quality and stripped-down visual style more in tune with the indigenous film of contemporary African cinema than de Heer's usual style. It's a gorgeous piece of cultural mythology and Aboriginal storytelling in cinematic form. Includes the 55-minute documentary "The Balanda and the Bark Canoes: The Making of Ten Canoes" and interviews with director de Heer and Djigirr among its supplements.