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SEAN, SEBBIE AND NATHAN Despite the tendency of many Westerners to assume that all Aboriginals speak the same language, this is not the case. There are hundreds of languages and dialects and numerous clans. Nathan and Sebbie, both from the Tiwi Islands, conversed in Tiwi, whereas Sean, a Yolngu boy, spoke Gumatj. Virtually no similarity exists between the two languages -- it's akin to comparing Chinese to English -- however by the shoot's end, all had mastered an impressive command of each other's native tongue. Overcoming the ingrained sense of 'shame' the three teens felt at suddenly being in the spotlight, required patience, empathy and perseverance. "For them 'shame' has a much broader context than it does within our culture," explained their on-set tutor, Mark Monaghan. "Many Aboriginal people don't want to attract attention, particularly the kids. It can even be difficult to bestow praise in a school environment. Often it's not appropriate to say, 'well done,' because they feel shame at having been singled out. When the boys returned home for a visit, initially they wouldn't leave the car. They know that everyone is aware that they've been off making a movie and subsequently they'll be the centre of attention. I took Sean to a football game in Yirrkala at the start of the shoot and he said, 'drive on Mark, drive on. Can't get out of the car, big shame job.' The people there might not have realised that he's in a movie but he does." |
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