What is the film about?
In 1934, Indigenous stockman Albert Namatjira met watercolour painter Rex Battarbee when he visited the Hermannsburg Mission in Central Australia. They formed a strong friendship; Albert taught Rex about his country and culture and in exchange, Rex taught
him how to paint in the western watercolour tradition.
In 2009, Trevor Jamieson, an Indigenous actor playing the roles of both Rex Battarbee and Albert Namatjira, put his friendship with non-Indigenous director Scott Rankin to the test, as their stage production 'Namatjira', toured the country.
The Namatjira documentary examines the role of friendship, risk and trust in working towards real reconciliation in Australia. The film explores how much has changed in the 70 years between these two friendships.
Once the film is complete, its distribution will be used to promote the importance of intercultural friendship, and garner tangible support for the Namatjira family and Hermannsburg art movement - tools for them to own and utilise into the future.
Join us in finishing this film.
We’ve been filming the journey of the Namatjira project for six years; capturing magical moments of intercultural exchange on the ground with the project and on the road with the theatre show. We are now at the assembly stage of the editing
process, and we are reaching out for your support to complete the film!
Namatjira is a project based around beautiful artwork so naturally we have some incredible rewards and some truly unique one-off experiences to express our gratitude for your support.
Plus Big hART is registered for DGR status, and can offer you a tax receipt depending on the reward. Contact Holly for more detail -
[email protected]
It's time to Start Some Good!
Not only does this film tell a remarkable story, all profits from the Namatjira project documentary will go directly to the new Namatjira Legacy Trust, which will be launched alongside the release of the film. Proceeds gathered through the
Trust will go towards supporting the Namatjira family, their families and extended communities. The watercolour movement directly supports the livelihood of the Western Arranda communities - supporting the movement will assist them to thrive into the future.
FROM THE NAMATJIRA FAMILY
For good reason, Albert Namatjira remains one of the most revered names in Australian art history. The Namatjira family are holders of some of this country’s most significant heritage, and yet today face many challenges.
“Our Western Aranda communities today face many of the same difficulties Albert Namatjira did fifty years ago. We’re resilient, but our painting tradition - our livelihood - faces a precarious future. Albert Namatjira’s friendship with Rex Battarbee
is an important story that needs to be shared. This documentary gives insight into their unique collaboration, and why friendships like this are important today. Getting this documentary out for the world to see will help us continue the work passed down to
us by Albert, which is the economic sustainability of our community. Help us capitalise on our remarkable heritage, be up-skilled, link with broad networks and horizons, and access educational and employment opportunities into the future.”
- Lenie Namatjira & the Namatjira Family, 2015
Background to the Namatjira Project
Big hART is Australia’s leading arts and social change company; producing critically and publicly acclaimed performance, visual, and media art while being a powerful driver of solutions to complex social problems.
The Namatjira family welcomed Big hART into their community over six years ago. They wanted to tell their family story and re-invigorate the unique watercolour tradition passed down by Albert for generations to come.
Together we created an award winning theatre production about the life of Albert Namatjira and his friendship with white man Rex Battarbee – a remarkable relationship of reciprocity and exchange.
The production toured the country twice and for its final showing in 2013, we toured the Namatjira production to London where members of the Namatjira family were invited to meet the Queen and Prince Charles. Despite this royal reception back home the Namatjira’s
story and ongoing artistic practice remain invisible to the wider Australian public. Namatjira’s descendants face many of the same challenges as he did fifty years ago AND the copyright to Albert Namatjira’s expansive catalogue does not rest in the family’s
hands.
This project has been working for six years to change this story. Working beyond the limitations of theatre, the documentary is the lynchpin in making sure positive exposure gets out to many, many more people, to garner support for the family, their community
and ongoing living heritage.
Thanks for your support. More than a donor, you are a friend of the project, and we'd love your support again down the track, once the film is completed - we'll be looking for people to host screenings and continue
to support the Namatjira family and watercolour artists.
For more information on Big hART's Namatjira project, visit http://www.namatjira.bighart.org
