''Banduk'' is a 1985 Australian

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

shot in

Nhulunbuy Nhulunbuy () is a town and locality in the far north of the Northern Territory of Australia. Founded on the Gove Peninsula in north-east Arnhem Land when a bauxite mine and deep water port were established in the late 1960s, the town's econ ...

East Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territorial capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Company captain Willem Joosten ...

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

of Australia.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p11

Plot

There is no dialogue in the film; the story is told in its imagery. The boy and girl (siblings) in the story (Banduk and Yalumul) realise that the ice-cream van owners are smuggling native animals out of Australia, including one of the Yolngu sacred animals, the

red-collared lorikeet The red-collared lorikeet (''Trichoglossus rubritorquis'') is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia (north-eastern Western Australia, northern Northern Territory and far north-western Queensland). It was previously ...

, or ''lindrij''. With the help of Banduk's grandfather, they manage to trap the smugglers and are given a reward. The

sub-plot In fiction, a subplot or side story is a strand of the Plot (narrative), plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often ...

involves the children raising money to buy musical instruments for their band.

Cast

The cast is as follows: *

Garry McDonald Garry George McDonald AO (born 30 October 1948) is an Australian actor, satirist and comedian. In a career spanning five decades he has had many theatre, television and film roles, and has been listed as a National Living Treasure. He is bes ...

– Mr Kool * Jone/Joan Winchester – Mrs Kool * Bayulma Marika – Banduk * Yalumul Marika – Yalumul *

Roy Marika Roy Dadaynga Marika (1925 – 1993) was an Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist. He was a member of the Marika family, brother of Mawalan 1 Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika and Dhunggala Marika. He was the le ...

– Grandad * Gurumin Marika – Father *

Banduk Marika Banduk Mamburra Wananamba Marika (13 October 1954 – 12 July 2021), known after her death as Dr B Marika, was an artist, printmaker and environmental activist from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia, who was dedicated to the developme ...

– Aunt * Tommy Munyurran – Police aide

Production

Renowned

Yolngu The Yolngu or Yolŋu ( or ) are an aggregation of Aboriginal Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. ''Yolngu'' means "person" in the Yolŋu languages. The terms Murngin, Wulamba, Yalnuma ...

artist

served as Aboriginal consultant, and also played the role of Aunt in the film.

, Banduk's uncle and renowned artist, plays the grandfather.

Release

The film was made by Channel 9 (now

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

) for the Second

European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...

(EBU) Drama Exchange for children, and released on Channel 9 in July 1985. It was released in the UK by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

Reception

Cinema Papers ''Cinema Papers'' was an Australian bi-monthly film magazine which ran from 1974 to 2001, regarded as "the premier Australian film industry magazine". It absorbed ''Filmviews'' in 1989. History and profile ''Cinema Papers'' was first published ...

'' gives the film a lukewarm review, but ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' (Deirdre McPherson) called the film charming in its simplicity, and Bayulma Marika "most appealing as Banduk".

Footnotes

References

External links

* {{Films and television series about Indigenous Australia , state=autocollapse Australian television films 1985 television films 1985 films Films about Aboriginal Australians Films directed by Di Drew 1980s English-language films