“Unlikely Travellers” voted best documentary at IF awards

 

Congratulations to Michael Noonan and John Hart and for their film “Unlikely Travellers” winning the Inside Film (IF)  award for best Australian  documentary.

“Unlikely Travellers” will be screened on the ABC over the next three weeks beiginning Monday November 19 at 8pm.  more details here. 

Here is my review of the launch of Unlikely Travellers in August –   movie review

UPDATE – While Unlikely Travellers is now recieving the acknowledgement and praise that it deserves, the controversy and condemnation is continuing at Irish Indymedia – here  and at the Courier Mail – here 

Laughing at the “disabled”, Michael Noonan exposes his naughty bits!

CAUTION!                                                                                                                          Some academics may be offended  by the film footage in this link.     Michael Noonan’s Naughty Bits

The controversial Bris Vegas film maker, Michael Noonan, has been accused of producing “misanthropic and amoral trash” and exploiting people with intellectual disabilities who are not competent to make decisions for themselves in his PhD thesis “Laughing at/with the Disabled.”

This criticism can be found in the now famous Australian (newspaper) article by two academics from QUT -Gary MacLennan and John Hookham entitled “Philistines of Relativism  at the Gates” (link here).   My critique of this article can be found here.

Since the screening of Noonan’s film “Unlikely Travelers” at the recent Brisbane International Film Festival (see my review here)) the supporters of MacLennan and Hookham’s criticism have maintained their rage against Noonan, explaining that the criticism had nothing to do with “Unlikely Travellers” but was aimed at “the other one”. “The Other One” is an as yet unfinished comedy film entitled “Down Under with Darren and James”.

Disability and film

“The big dilemma for disabled actors is that they are a tiny minority, unable to get agents, regular work, or even their foot in the door.” 

“Liberal guilt is suffocating. Is it ever okay to laugh at the disabled?”

“………but the fact remains that the disability humor in “South Park” is outrageously funny. I’m disabled and I laugh at it, so it must be OK, right? There’s nothing worse than a disabled person who takes it all too seriously. That’s a one-way ticket to serious long-term misery.”

These quotes are excerpts from an interview,  “Hobbling Hollywood”   from the U.S. blog “The Warren Report” Warren Etheredge interviews Seattle movie critic Jeff Shannon about the representation of people with disabilities in Hollywood.The article is copyright so I won’t reproduce it but I recommend the link to those curious about the issues raised by Michael Noonan’s film “Unlikely Travellers” and the criticism against his PhD thesis “Laughing at/with the Disabled”.

“Unlikely Travellers” by Michael Noonan – movie review

 

The controversial movie “Unlikely Travellers” by Brisbane film maker Michael Noonan had its world premier on Sunday (Aug 12) as part of the Brisbane International Film Festival. The documentary features the lives of a group of people with intellectual disabilities who travel to Egypt as well as their families and support workers.

Up until Sunday’s screening “Unlikely Travellers” has benefited from perhaps the most sensational pre-publicity campaign of any independent documentary ever made in Australia.

A Benefit Gig for the Doomadgee Family of Palm Island – Aug 11

The Arena, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane August 11   8p.m.

Featuring Kev Carmody and The Beasts of Bourbon

 

also…..  *the Palm Island Dancers  *Banawurun  *Indigenous Intrudaz  *Lola the Vamp   *Dick Desert & The Shotgun Country Club

* Alex Doomadgee will MC proceedings.

Rednecks and Dreadlocks

By John Tracey
Earlier this year I had the honour of initiating an indigenous issues discussion on the John Butler Trio fan website. Not long after I had the greater honor of being banned from the forum. Not long after that the indigenous forum was removed altogether. Ill tell you the gory details soon but first I’ll try and put a few things in perspective.

photographus extraordinarius

Introducing “The Bandido of Oz”, a Brisbane based photojournalist.

Australian Landscape Art

“Kalkadoon and Pitta Pitta Country” a cyber-exhibition – words and pictures about history and landscape art by John Tracey.

Baganan Kurityityin Theresa Creed surveys her country as far as the eye can see, which is a long way in the desert.
Kalkadoon and Pitta Pitta country is in North West Queensland, Australia.

Contemporary Aboriginal Art

By Baganan Kurityityin Theresa Creed

Baganan (photo by John Tracey)

The Modern Day hunter gatherer
The Modern Day hunter gatherer
Make sure you come equipped
Rights to be in possession of
Equipped with the knowledge of
Transperancy spirituality
Materials
Ancient capabilities
The modern day hunter gatherer
Make sure you come equipped

Baganan