FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Title Details

When the Snake Bites the Sun

A compelling account of the return by a group of dispossessed Aboriginal people to their ancient tribal grounds in the northern outreaches of this continent.
Year : 1986 | Total Duration : 57 Minutes | Producer : Ian Adkins
Director : Michael Edols |
Photographs, Michael Edols with aboriginal men Sam Woolagoodja and David Mowaljarlai. Aboriginal man talking about Sam and Edols' responsibility when Woolagoodja died. Edols at home, photographs. Aboriginal man Woolagoodja looking at rock art. CU's paintings. photograph. Mowaljarlai talking. Edols leaving home with camera bags. Aboriginal artefacts in home. Edols in aircraft looking out of window. Passengers on aircraft. Letters. Aerial coast and unusual rock formations. Aircraft landing. Derby. Dusk, car along street. Outside pub. Edols with aboriginal people greeting him. Aboriginal people in native clothing walking along river bank. Edols with people in town, some drinking. Empty beer cans.
Access No. 123067 | 9 mins 57 secs | 1980s | NT, Australia; Derby, WA, Australia | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
Aboriginal dancing, body paint. Entering Mowanjum community. Edols talking to elders. Community. Edols talking to aboriginal woman. Edols in community in Broome looking for woman, Shirley, Sam Woolagoodja's daughter. Shirley in Derby with group drinking. Edols showing Shirley film he made of her father. Shirley and Edols visit Sam's unmarked grave. Scrub landscape. Full moon in night sky. Edols sitting by camp fire talking about seeing vision of Sam Woolagoodja. Travelling shot from car. Cockatoos fly from tree. Outback landscape. Edols in car. Two aboriginal men on horseback. Aboriginal man, David Mowaljarlai walking in outback landscape. Man walking by waterhole. Man chanting at sacred place. Walking and looking at rock art to do with fertility. David talking to camera, Edols seated next to him. Aboriginal ritual to release spirit, Woolagoodja with shell, painting face and body with red ochre.
Access No. 123220 | 16 mins 33 secs | 1980s | Broome, Derby, Kimberleys, WA, Australia | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
Sailing ship at sea, seen from shore. Aerial Kimberleys, bush landscape and river outlet. Ship through water. Aboriginal people on boat. Ship anchored, aboriginal man chatting. Unusual rock formations on beach. Aboriginal people on boat. Boat anchored, coming into shore. Sam Woolagoodja and others playing didgeridoo. David Mowaljarlai talking and looking at rock formations. Drinking water, making fire. Edols making and sailing raft. Underwater shot turtle swimming, Edols hunting with spear and catching turtle. Dead turtle on beach. Sunset boat on water. Filling turtle shell with hot coals. Aboriginal women approach, men turn backs in ritual. Perform ceremony to set spirit of dead man free.
Access No. 123226 | 14 mins 24 secs | 1980s | Kimberleys, WA, Australia | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
On board ship, raising sails. Crew member charting maps. Sailing ship into sunset. David Mowaljarlai talking. Night shots aboriginal people singing by camp fire. Coast. David Mowaljarlai talking. Aboriginal woman walking along beach. Strange rock formations. Group of women. Aboriginal woman crying. Shirley Woolagoodja talking. Aboriginal people walking on beach. Rock art. Mowaljarlai talking. Night shot people chatting and laughing around camp fire at night. Canoeist in sea. Beach. Sam Woolagoodja in cave with rock art. Aboriginal group visit same place. Mowaljarlai talking. Rock face and sea. Rock on board boat. Shirley Woolagoodja and Mowaljarlah. Photographs of rock being placed on Sam Woolagoodja's grave.
Access No. 123229 | 15 mins 22 secs | 1980s | WA, Australia | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |