Charlie’s Country
Australian film Charlie’s Country pairs renowned director Rolf de Heer with screen legend David Gulpilil for their third film collaboration.
Following on from the multi-award winning Ten Canoes and their first feature The Tracker, Charlie’s Country formed part of the official selection at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film offers a deeply affecting portrait of contemporary Aboriginal Australia.
Gulpilil stars as Charlie, who is getting older and is out of sorts. Frustrated with the failures of the government intervention and the White Australian laws enforced into his remote community, Charlie takes off to live the old way. But in doing so he sets off a chain of events in his life that has him return to his community chastened, yet somewhat the wiser. Gulpilil was awarded best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance.
Filmed in Gulpilil’s home country of Ramingining, Arnhem Land, the story was inspired by his own life experiences and those of his community.
Gulpilil and de Heer worked collaboratively on the screenplay and with the direction of de Heer the heartbreaking, humorous and ultimately hopeful story of one man’s search for belonging has been brought to life.
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