1 min 49 sec

Taken from the TV program Message Stick – Kurtal: Snake Spirit (2002)

Original title classification not known – this clip chosen to be G

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Availability of the complete title

Please be aware that this clip may contain the names, images and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may now be deceased.

Curator’s clip description

The colour of the landscape blends with the vibrancy of a painting superimposed onto the ground. The lone figure of Spider, a Wangkatjungka man, emerges into the frame.

Curator’s notes

A beautiful story about Kurtal, an ancestor and Dreaming song, and the elder Spider, whose responsibility it is to perform the dance as well as pass it on. This highly stylised opening sequence is full of remarkable images that are extremely well photographed and edited and immediately evoke a timeless and mystical mood. The poignant interview, combined with Spider’s paintings, is also highly effective.

Romaine Moreton, curator

australian screen