Dark (1974)

Synopsis

“Using footage shot during the first Aboriginal Land Rights demonstrations in Sydney, and when the police tore down the ‘Aboriginal Embassy’ in front of Parliament House in Canberra, Dark juxtaposes this violent struggle with images (taken from a tourist slide) of an old Aboriginal warrior imprisoned, in his mind, in his own country. As an immigrant to Australia I’d understood what it feels like to be a stranger, and had experienced hurtful comments and prejudice (…‘bloody German’). So I thought, this is funny, these people have been here for donkey’s years, and they to go out in the streets to fight for their own land. I used various mechanisms to let this injustice, this anger out…in particular, zooming through a comb onto the image of the old warrior…letting his emotion stream out through the bars.” (Paul Winkler)