7 Nov 2021

Australian indigenous company Bangarra Dance Theatre

From Standing Room Only, 1:45 pm on 7 November 2021

One of the notable elements in this year's International Film Festival is the strong representation of Indigenous films and film-makers. One of them is an Australian documentary called Firestarter. In 1989 the Bangarra Dance Theatre was formed in Sydney. It was entirely made up of indigenous Australians - Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders - and its impact was immeasurable. At its heart were three brothers - the Page brothers - the Holy Trinity they were called, not entirely jokingly. The name "Bangarra" means "to make fire". And the documentary that's about to show at the New Zealand International Film Festival is called Firestarter. Simon Morris speaks to Aboriginal director Wayne Blair, who he last spoke to 10 years ago about his first film, the delightful The Sapphires.