Mr Strehlow's films

TGH Strehlow was an anthropologist who spent most of his working life documenting on 16mm film the lives of the Aboriginal communities of Central Australia. His anthropological work resulted in the establishment of the Strehlow Institute near Alice Springs which exhibits the full extent of his documentary legacy. In recent years, Strehlow’s work has been criticised as being patronising in his relationship to indigenous communities. This insightful and compelling documentary presents both a biography of Strehlow as well as a critique of some of the racial assumptions that underlie European anthropological exploration of Aboriginal culture. Strehlow’s recording of sacred rituals involving Aboriginal men and youth has resulted in complex questions regarding the use, distribution and legitimacy of such material. In addressing such questions, ‘Mr. Strehlow’s films’ illuminates the changing relationship between European and Aboriginal Australians. The images from the documentary also present astounding records of desert life in Australia in the early part of the twentieth century. A comprehensive 10 page study guide to the film can be downloaded at: http://www.enhancetv.com.au/study_it/MrStrehlowsFilms.pdf