Gularri

A Film by Jed Wells

BCM115 Assignment 3

My film, ‘Gularri’, is focused around living rebel Ngiare Brown, and her bond and connection with the ocean. In trying to feature what is both a prominent and intimate relationship, I combined both a large amount of footage of beaches and the ocean, with that of an interview style, trying to symbolise both parties in this relationship, as well as create the feeling that the viewer is also in some way part of the process. I had initially planned to feature underwater filming and footage quite heavily, but the conditions during the period I had set out to shoot were less than ideal and I made the decision to change to on land footage of the ocean. On the plus side, the large swells and storm conditions that hit the coast made for impressive footage, and helped to illustrate the point of how the ocean can be so changing and unpredictable.

I drew inspiration from a number of films, most of which were featurette pieces, ones which similar to mine featured large amounts of underwater and ocean film, paired with interview style footage to create a personal bond between Ngaire and the audience. Keith Malloy’s doctumentary ‘FISHPEOPLE‘ was a particularly large source of inspiration, showcasing individuals whose lives revolve around the sea. I also turned to the films ‘I’m Not Trying to Stay Comfortable‘ by Andrew Kearns and ‘Parley for the Oceans‘ from Igor Ramirez Garcia-Peralta. Both of these filmed had large elements of ocean footage and were also able to tie in beautiful narratives to their pieces. While I would have loved to capture some underwater footage, particularly of Ngaire in the water, I am satisfied that the videos I have of the ocean served to convey the same feelings of connection and respect that are felt. Additionally, I considered ‘Come Hell or High Water‘ also by Keith Malloy, and ‘Forgiving Pipeline‘ from Amber Mozo and Redbull Surfing.

The audio in my film is predominantly dialogue. It features a narrator in myself, giving context to the film and joining the dots. There is also dialogue from Ngaire, both paired with footage of her speaking in an interview scene, but also as a voice-over in some parts, to truly show and develop a connection between herself and the ocean. Accompanying this is a simple guitar loop, one aimed to have a calming and peaceful effect, which was what was intended from this film. Again, ideally I would have liked to explore some of Ngaire’s answers further and develop that intricate connection, but I was unable to do so given the time limit. I would have also changed the camera angle in the interview scene slightly, aiming to gain a more straight on look. However, I still feel that the interview sections were able to personify Ngaire and create a connection between her and the audience.

Ngaire Brown – Living Rebel Soundscape

In creating a soundscape to represent Ngiare Brown, I wanted to emphasise the significance of her work, and how this makes her a living rebel. This presented a challenge initially, as she was away for work and I was unsure as to how I was going to record her. However, I was able to make this work, and it even helped the direction of my project. I emphasised the distance, and through the phone call showed the lengths she is willing to go to. I included dialogue through an interview style, asking questions over the phone and including her replies, as well as some separate commentary. The sound effects included the dialing of the phone and the call tone used to really push the feeling of separation. I also included what was intended as the sound of a plane taking off underlain with her description of where she was. This again showed the distance. For ambiance, I included sounds of the beach, crashing waves and running water, to connect it to home, and again show the distance. My inspiration was mostly from featurette style podcasts, that show one person and their life and contributions. This includes podcasts such as NPR’s ‘How I Built This’.

https://soundcloud.com/jed-wells-866357479/ngiare-brown-living-rebel

Living Rebel: Dr. Ngaire Brown

BCM115 Introduction to Screen Media – Assessment 1

Ngaire Brown shares an intimate connection with the ocean

She stands in solitude, kept company by the waves

A fiercely proud Indigenous woman, Ngaire displays her culture to the world

Strength and empowerment come from within

Project Statement

Dr. Ngaire Brown is a Yuin nation woman and a senior medical practitioner. She has studied and has qualifications in medicine, public health, medical law, bioethics, human rights and primary care. She is a trailblazer, who does thing her own way. She is a rebel in every sense of the word. She stands out from the world, and to capture this, it was necessary to show her by herself. Solitary, and powerful. In considering this, a large part of my inspiration was the photo series ‘Isolation: Afghanistan’ by French photographer Martin Middlebrook. It portrays individuals in their environment, showing them in solitude, but comfortable and in touch with their surroundings.

I then took a number of closer, intimate photos of her features, to personify her and to show who she is as an individual. Photos of her tattoos, a heavy link to her culture that she proudly displays, were taken in the same way as those in the photo series ‘Love Marks: Tattoos Deeper Than Ink’ by Stacy-Ann Ellis. While that series documented tattoos dedicated to lovers, I wanted to capture the same intimacy and connection through Dr. Browns.

I took photos of her hands, and of her face, to familiarise her to the audience as well as to represent the many aspects of her personality. They show a loving, caring and gentle side to her, as well as showing her wisdom, her knowledge and integrity. I took a photo of her face, similar to the portrait work of photographer Ben McRae, in order to make the audience truly feel like they had met Ngaire. Finally, the last shot of the series shows Ngaire walking away, towards the ocean. Similar to the above shots, this took elements of the photos in ‘Isolation: Afghanistan’, and the shot was intended to feel like a departure, as if she is walking away at the end.

My photo essay was for the most part narrative form, telling the story of a chance encounter with a living rebel. Dr. Ngaire Brown. The viewer sees her from afar, then approaches. They are shown her features, and they begin to understand her. The series ends with the viewer and Ngaire once again separating. The encounter is over, but the viewer is left with the feeling of having met a new person. There are also elements of essay involved, through the themes of the ocean, and Ngaires’ Indigenous heritage.