Discuss how your understanding of an important topic has been shaped through

knowledge of the documentary film’s context of production.

My understanding of the story of Dujuan in general has been shaped, after knowing that the
documentary film was made by a person who has done many films with the Arrernte and
knowing that all of the film was planned. Before understanding this, I assumed it was at least
somewhat scripted, however after knowing that the documentary was completely unplanned,
it makes the feelings and events exposed in the documentary feel rawer.
Having this further understanding changed my personal perspective, in the way that the story,
being unplanned and real has a closer connection to myself. I further feel connected with
Dujuan’s disconnection from society, his pain and his confusion with the Australian school
system. His fight for identity, and his struggle to belong.
Also, I found that one of the main endorsers for the film was Dujuan’s father. This knowledge
makes it known that Dujuan’s family wanted this film to be made, to express and
Explore how documentary film conventions have been used to position viewers to react
to particular issues.
Within the film, the director Maya Newell has used various film conventions in order to
position viewers to feel sympathy and understanding towards Dujuan and his people.
An Example of This Is:
Within the campfire scene at around 21:00, there is a scene with dim lighting, whilst we have
the fire’s light against Dujuan’s face. It makes the scene feel more intimate, we feel close and
the background is mostly omitted. We focus on Dujuan and Carol’s faces, and we see the
uneasiness and fear that they both hold.
This focus is meant to accentuate the importance and emotional significance that their
thoughts were having. Carol was having doubts on whether her choices on raising Dujuan
were correct, and she was having fears of Dujuan’s disconnect from their Aboriginal Society.
Because of the lighting choices, we very clearly see her face and understand just how
unnerved she is.
Another Example of a Film Convention:
The usage of Archival Footage to bring both a sense of reality and adds extra information
without the need for re-enactment or losing the ‘flow’ of the film. The way it has been used in
this film is:
- From 4:00 - 5:00, we see a scene of Dujuan throwing a firecracker, and this scene is
interlaced with scenes of the Aboriginal People’s treatment over time, their suffering
and the intergenerational trauma that has resonated within him. This is where the line
‘In My Blood, It Runs’ comes from. Their pain, their suffering aligns with his own.
He is still a victim of all those events decades ago,
- From 28:00 - 29:10, we see a series of connected photographs, of Dujuan and his
family.
- It has been used this way to add integrity, we feel like the film hasn’t been created
from nothing because it is a form of ‘proof’.
- The photos give us a snapshot of Dujuan’s early life, his struggles with his parents
separation. A voiceover is also provided with these photos, furthering the explanation
and understanding of what these photos mean to Dujuan.