Whaledreamers

Filmmaker Jack Thompson spent years researching the links between sea mammals and indigenous peoples around the world. In filmmaker Kim Kindersley's Whaledreamers, Thompson traces the historical repression of aboriginal tribes, in particular the Mirning of southern Australia, documenting a 1998 “Gathering” of indigenous groups, and its aftermath. Whales are sacred to the Mirning, who share a mystical link with the giant creatures that is recounted in “dreamtime” tales and ceremonies. A “stolen generation” of aboriginals were forced to assimilate into white Christian culture and abandon their land at the same time that whales were being driven to near extinction by industrial hunters. During the 1980s, aboriginal tribes organized protests, while Greenpeace launched an effort to save the whales. After witnessing a rite in which the Mirning summoned two whales to the Australian coast, Thompson joined Mirning spokesman Bunna Lawrie to invite indigenous peoples from around the world to meet and build solidarity. Here, documentary footage of the Gathering depicts tribal elders from Indonesia, North America, New Zealand, and Columbia performing traditional rites and speaking about their struggles to protect their lands and the whales. After the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City led to war in Iraq and worldwide protests for peace, Thompson was inspired to reconnect with Lawrie and recommence the project to raise awareness of traditional Mirning culture. Produced by Julian Lennon, the award-winning Whaledreamers is an absorbing documentary that features spectacular underwater footage of whales. DVD extras include an interview with Lennon and a music video. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)