In Between Songs

Joshua Bell's documentary focuses on Djalu Gurruwiwi, a didgeridoo master of the Galpu clan in Australia's Northern Territory, who finds his world in disarray when Galpu youth display no interest in inheriting and maintaining the Aboriginal heritage that is passed down from one generation to the next. Despite the group's relative geographic isolation, contemporary world culture and the proliferation of drugs and alcohol occupy the young people's attention. Complicating matters is the nearby Rio Tinto bauxite mine, which threatens to have a profoundly dramatic impact on the Aboriginal culture and local ecosystem (part of a larger, aggressive incursion of mining officials trying to buy up vast amounts of native lands). A plan to relocate the Galpu youth to a more remote area seems like a possible solution, but the feasibility of this idea is quickly upended when costs and logistics work against Gurruwiwi. Observations from numerous Aboriginals and others on the scene punctuate the narration by actor James Cromwell. In Between Songs serves up a stark view of the challenges faced by Australia's indigenous population, who appear to be adopting the worst elements of the majority culture without having truly absorbed the more beneficial social and economic aspects of modern-day Australian life. DVD extras include deleted scenes, outtakes, and musical performances. Sad, disturbing, and haunting, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)