The spirit lives...

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Cherbourg Project 9.10.02


Tuesday and Wednesday were scheduled for me as a visit to Cherbourg.  I was
to accompany Mark Newman the producer, writer and director of the film
Strong and Smart on  Cherbourg State School.  This is a half hour film that
documents the success of the Strong and Smart vision for the Cherbourg SS
under the charismatic leadership of Chris Sarra - the first Aboriginal
principal of Cherbourg SS.

Cherbourg itself is a former mission- reserve located about 4 hours drive
north and West of Brisbane.  The town has a population of around 1800. Like
most Aboriginal communities it has been beset by all the concomitants of
political and cultural conquest - imprisonment, alcoholism, domestic
violence, unemployment etc.  The school too had the usual marks of a school
in such circumstances.  There was massive truancy, and near total
illiteracy.  Over the last 4 years that has begun to change as Chris Sarra
has implemented his strong and smart vision.  Truancy is almost
non-existent and academic progress is beginning to be made.

We of the Film & Television discipline, Creative Industries Faculty at QUT
were approached by Chris to make a film on the school to record the
progress that has been made.  The hope is that other Aboriginal communities
will be inspired to emulate Cherbourg's success.

The documentary is now almost complete except for some fine tuning on the
music. We took the film to Cherbourg to show those who had participated and
to get their approval for release.  There was general satisfaction with
what had been put on film, but we did hit a snag.  Part of the documentary
records a lesson by Michael Blackman, the teacher in charge of the
Aboriginal Studies program. In the lesson he covered local spirits
including Mungagarra and then proceeded to take the class to the nearby
Barambah Creek to see Mungagarra's dreaming trail.

This is a vital important part of the film for it underlines the
revolutionary changes that have taken place in indigenous education.  Once
as former student Albert Hold relates it was strictly forbidden by the
white administrators to participate in aboriginal cultural events.  Indeed
the missionaries strove might and main to kill off Aboriginal
spirituality.  That they did not succeed was due to the tenacity and
courage of the Aboriginal people.

However when Michael saw the segment of him teaching the lesson, he was
worried that he may have broken the taboos around such knowledge by making
it so public via the media. He refused to sign the clearance form until the
film was checked out by elders from the community.  So on Wednesday the
film was shown to two elders, Victor Bond and Mrs Gamble. They turned up at
the school to view the film and give their verdict.  It was an extremely
tense moment for all of us involved in the making of the film. If Victor
Bond and Mrs Gamble did not like any aspect of the film then it would have
to be changed.   That was the guarantee we had given the community.

The elders sat and watched it and then declared that they liked the film
and that everything was ok. Michael signed the form and now the film is
almost ready to be launched.  When it is I will send copies to my good
friends Hunterbear, Jim Craven and Comrade Lou.  What they will see is a
short film which is a very moving testimony to a people struggle for
freedom against terrible odds.

regards

Gary


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