Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Blak Douglas, Maree Clark, Ben McKeown, Penny Evans
Intro:
... combines art with the personal history of the artists as well as the history of Australia for a compelling and impressive documentary.
First, there’s the art – bold, striking, distinctly original paintings, installations, photography, ceramics and a digital display. Then, there are the engaging personal stories of the artists that Dig Deeper focuses on – four Indigenous Australians with dual heritage. Plus, there are the cultural and historical underpinnings of the lives and art that are explored here… As per its title, this short documentary covers a lot of interesting ground in a remarkably brief time.
Amongst other works, Ben McKeown creates streetscapes – urban art with an Indigenous influence. McKeown’s ‘I Wonder’, which is text-based – asks a series of questions, like how did his father’s family feel when buying stolen land? And how did his mother’s family feel when forced off their land and into the missions? The piece inspired writer/director Mark Street (Can Art Stop a Bullet?) to create this documentary, prompting the filmmaker to consider what it meant to be of dual heritage.
The mission is also in Maree Clarke’s photographic hologram ‘On the banks of the Murrumbidgee River’ – a series of images showing memories of her family living in a tent behind a mission. One image is of a suitcase, which she used as a bed.
Archibald Winner Blak Douglas’ powerful artwork has a strong contemporary graphic influence, using iconic images in satirical and clever ways. Douglas talks about the first artwork that he sold to the National Gallery, saying that he was instructed to make it “palatable” and “not too harsh”.
Penny Evans, who works primarily in ceramics, is the artist who gives this documentary its title; it’s a striking moment when she explains where “dig deeper” came from.
Although made on a modest budget, the film is shot well and creatively put together, featuring beautiful landscape shots. It combines art with the personal history of the artists as well as the history of Australia for a compelling and impressive documentary.
