MY NAME IS GULPILIL

Documentary
Australia, 2021, 102 min

Directed by: Molly Reynoldsová

Here is the world’s first globally renowned Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil in his final film which is also all about his life. Director Molly Reynolds made the documentary several years before Gulpilil’s death, at a time when he was already seriously ill with stage four lung cancer. The documentary attempts to cover the artist’s whole life, from his acting career to his alcohol addiction, the relationships he went through, and ultimately his illness. It notes Gulpilil’s significant mark on contemporary Australian cinema with roles in seminal works such as Walkabout, Rabbit Proof Fence, The Tracker, Charlie’s Country and the comedy Crocodile Dundee.

David Gulpilil was born in 1953 in Arnhem Land (in northern Australia), where he grew up in a traditional Aboriginal environment. He was discovered by British director Nicolas Roeg when he was a young Aboriginal dancer and he subsequently became an internationally acclaimed film star. He was honoured with numerous awards for his life’s work and individual performances.

This documentary was largely filmed in 2017 with the assumption that Gulpilil didn’t have much time left. He died in November 2021. The use of Gulpilil’s name in the film’s title is potentially problematic, as Aboriginal culture forbids the names or images of deceased to be published or spoken after their death. In this instance, however, the family made an exception after David Gulpilil’s death, giving permission for this to occur due to the fact that David Gulpilil himself wanted his name and work to be widely known and spoken about.