A Tribute
Indigenous Australian actor David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu passed away on 29 November 2020 at the age of 68.
David introduced the world to his culture in the film Walkabout as a child actor in 1971 and went on to perform in many films including the blockbuster Crocodile Dundee films, Storm Boy, The Last Wave, Rabbit Proof Fence, Charlie's Country, Mad Dog Morgan, The Proposition and The Tracker. (FYI: All of which you can watch for free with your library membership.)
The actor, dancer, singer and painter changed Australian screen representation forever.
Watch The Tracker
The first of his collaborations with Rolf de Heer, The Tracker stars David Dalaithngu as a guide who’s forcibly enlisted by a posse of white policemen to hunt down an Indigenous fugitive in 1920s South Australia.
Hailed as an anti-western and a powerful exploration of the nation’s race relations, de Heer’s film mixes breathtaking widescreen cinematography with the director’s trademark uncompromising approach, using songs by composer Archie Roach and Peter Load’s evocative paintings to punctuate and comment upon the narrative. Gulpilil’s performance, perhaps his most significant since Walkabout, earned the star the AACTA Award for Best Actor.
Want to know more about his life?
See the recent documentary My name is Gulpilil which allowed David to share his own story. "I'm an actor, I'm a dancer, I'm a singer and also, a painter. This film is about me. This is my story of my story."
Or check out the biography written by Derek Reilly, Gulpilil, that explores the nearly 50 year career of 'the most beguiling and unconventional of Australian entertainers.'
“David Gulpilil delivers a seminal performance in Rolf de Heer’s unflinching look at an often-ignored chapter of Australian history”.
- The Age
“Gulpilil is an extraordinary presence. With his expressive face and little body movements, the actor brings iconic status to the role.”
- David Stratton