All language subtitles for In.Between.Songs.2014

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

Narrator: Imagine a living
world forged from a dream.

Where time doesn't exist.

Here, the past, present and
future move side by side

in a continuum that
extends beyond the limits

of imagination.

From the Earth, songs
of profound wisdom echo

from generation to generation.

Days are not measured by months
and years, but by the rising sun

and the ebb and flow of tides.

Narrator: For thousands of
years the land has welcomed its

people, the Yolngu,
in a loving embrace.

It provides sustenance,
strength and guidance.

But now, this dreamtime
is shifting.

Narrator: As the outside world
has entered this dreamtime,

the light wanes slightly.

Days shorten as shadows
grow longer.

Narrator: Time is now measurable
- the clock has started.

Narrator: Thousands of miles
away from Sydney and Melbourne,

in Australia's Northern
Territory,

sits a protected Aboriginal
reserve called Arnhem Land.

Northeast Arnhem Land is home

to some twenty different
clan groups

that comprise the Yolngu people,

one of the most culturally
vibrant groups

of indigenous Australians.

Along the idyllic shores
of Birritjimi Beach,

a few miles away from the
town center of Nhulunbuy,

and only a few hundred feet away

from a multi-billion
dollar bauxite mine,

the Galpu clan wages a quiet
battle for their survival.

Just off the main road,
approximately 50 members

of the Galpu reside in a
handful of battered homes.

Clan leaders for the Galpu,
Djalu Gurruwiwi, and his sister,

Dhangal, strive to restore
eroding traditions in the midst

of an uncertain future.

Well into his eighties,
Djalu's health is in decline,

and the legacy of his sacred
music, one of the cornerstones

of Yolngu, culture and
wisdom, remains uncertain.

While alcoholism and drug
abuse ravage the community,

clan traditions often fall by
the wayside, as the distractions

of the modern world pull at the
minds and bodies of its youth.

Meanwhile, the traditional
lands of the Yolngu,

are under constant threat from
international mining interests.

The remoteness of the community
provides few employment

opportunities for the clan,
while the basic living costs

in the region are
exponentially higher

than the rest of Australia.

As a result, Djalu's clan is
forced to lease their land

to the mine in exchange
for royalties

that never seem to materialize.

Caught in between two worlds,
clinging to the sacred tenants

of Yolngu song and tradition,

the Gurruwiwi family elders
remain steadfast and determined

to keep their culture strong.

Besides the reverence bestowed
upon him for his vast knowledge

of and adherence to sacred
law and Yolngu traditions,

Djalu is best known for
his master craftsmanship

and his playing of
the didjeridu.

This traditional instrument
referred to as the mandapul,

or yirdaki, with its
haunting drones originates

from this tiny region
in Australia.

Throughout the world many
refer to Djalu as Mr. Didgeridu

with his reputation
reaching mythic proportions

across the internet and
thoughout the world.

[Djalu sings]

Narrator: Just a few
miles away from the groves

of stringybark eucalyptus,

from which Djalu
creates his didjeridus,

the towering smoke stacks

of the Rio Tinto refinery
cast their lengthy shadows.

In 1952, substantial Bauxite
reserves were identified

on the Gove peninsula.

Bauxite is the main ore
used to create aluminum.

Over the past sixty years,
mine production has swelled.

Narrator: Current demand for
products such as soda cans,

cell phones and computers
drive the machinery

and its employees non-stop,
day and night, all year round.

For every 1 pound of aluminum
produced, thirteen pounds

of toxic mud and
waste are generated.

At peak performance, the mine
manufactures nearly eighteen

trillion pounds of
aluminum per year,

and over two hundred
twenty seven trillion pounds

of waste material.

In this process,
caustic chemicals

and gasses including
fluorides, sodium hydroxide,

carbon monoxide and
sulfur dioxide are all used

and produced.

Prolonged exposure to any of
these chemicals is lethal.

The Yolngu not only live
at the foot of the mine,

they subsist off the animal
and plant life surrounding it.

Narrator: For decades, despite
the mine's looming presence,

the clan has managed to
preserve its ceremonial life.

Djalu's Grandson, Vernon, is
now at an age where he may begin

to follow in the footsteps
of his male elders.

Djalu helps guide the Galpu

as to how the boy's
initiation ceremony

or dhapi, should be performed.

This ceremony is
one of the oldest

and most sacred traditions
still carried out by the Yolngu.

After his initiation,
Vernon is expected

to keep sacred law intact
through strict adherence to

and participation in all
aspects of Yolngu life.

Family from all over Arnhem
Land gather to perform this rite

of passage which
culminates in circumcision.

The art rendered on the boys
bodies is not simply decorative,

but expresses the profound
cultural significance

of the story it conveys.

Narrator: The boys are
adorned with sacred bands,

signifying their new status
as men within the clan.

Special songs are
performed only on this day,

the open the divine space
through which Vernon

and the other boys will
step into adulthood.

Each aspect of this ceremony,
both literally and figuratively,

reveals part of the mystical
language of the Songline.

[Singing]

Narrator: Up until this point,
the boys have been reared

and nurtured predominantly
by the women of the clan.

Once the boys are circumcised,
the women must let them go,

so that they can be
publicly viewed as men

and assume new responsibilities.

[Singing continues]

Narrator: The women weep
for this loss, but they know

that this has been the Yolngu
custom for thousands of years.

Their tears are part
of the cycle of life

that continues throughout
space and time.

[More singing and crying]

Narrator: Their wailing
reverberates

into the world of
their ancestors.

Upon completion, the
initiates are simply treated

with smoked leaves that contain
medicinal healing properties.

Rarely is an antiseptic needed.

Within a short time,
Vernon stands,

now walking into the
world now as a Galpu man,

alongside his grandfather,
Djalu.

#

Narrator: For the elders,

concern for their legacy
hangs perpetually in the air.

Even among the initiated,

the clan is becoming
more westernized.

Ancient ways are being
dismissed and forgotten.

The younger generation must now
negotiate two different worlds

and value systems
simultaneously,

the traditional and
the contemporary.

Djalu's children and
grandchildren are caught

between these two worlds.

They have grown up with
automobiles and video games,

cell phones and soft drinks.

There is no precedent
within their history

for this cultural shift,
no instruction manual,

and their scarce resources
create numerous challenges.

When younger clan
members become distracted,

they lose out on valuable time

that could be spent
learning from their elders.

After initiation, the
elders have little ability

to correct dangerous behavior,

or try to rally younger
clan members

to participate in ceremony.

It will require extraordinary
vision, dedication and maturity

on the part of the
Djalu's children

to understand what
life will look

like for the clan in
the years to come.

[LAUGHTER]

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

[Didjeridu]

[SOUNDS OF WORKING
AND DIDJERIDU]

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

Narrator: All around Djalu, the
winds of change are howling.

Djalu's mind is heavy.

In ceremony, where the
manikay songs take days,

sometimes weeks to complete.

Rituals are passed down from
one generation to the next.

Each day, Djalu's quiet
urgency grows louder within him,

knowing he must impart
wisdom, strength and values

to his family, before
he leaves this world.

#

Narrator:Just as the elders
did when Djalu was a child,

layers of sacred knowledge must
be conveyed to the children,

through songs whose origins
come out of the land itself.

This is where the power
of the Yolngu lives.

Often, he will turn
the strenuous job

of playing the mandapul
over to younger men.

Gently he coaches and corrects,
ever mindful of the need

to keep the tradition
rooted in the minds

of the next generation.

In this country, these songs
maintain the laws and teachings

that comprise the fabric
of all space and time,

past, present and future.

They provide a compass
for daily life.

Every day, Djalu's heart breaks
open, spilling love and wisdom

in all four directions.

North, South, East and West.

This is his yirdaki speaking
- to the America's, to Asia,

across Europe, to
Africa, and now back home.

Djalu's voice, in chorus with
his ancestors, rises and falls,

now gently, then furiously.

The beat of his clapsticks,

blends with the mandapul's
drone.

Dancing feet sway in
time with the rhythm.

His cries fill the ever-growing
chasm between this new world

and the world he remembers

from when he was a
boy on Elcho Island.

[SINGING AND MUSIC]

Narrator: His mission

and purpose have never been
clearer than they are today.

This is what Djalu
fears the most.

Leaving anything undone.

The hope for a better life, does
however, beckon in the distance.

#

Nomadic in both spirit

and culture the family maintains
numerous homeland communities

across Arnhem Land.

To simplify the complexities
of life in Nhulunbuy,

there is a push by the elders,

to relocate the clan
away from town.

Five hours off the
coast by boat,

the island of Rrakala
is breathtaking,

surrounded by crystal blue seas,
plentiful fresh water springs,

and sufficient natural
resources.

Djalu and Dhanggal believe
it can support the clan.

What in the past took
days by dugout canoe,

is now more easily
accessible by motor boat,

when the family can
gather the large sums

of money needed to charter one.

Beyond its beauty, however, the
family holds fast to a vision

for the clan's future.

Distance not only buffers
the youth from temptation,

but also allows the elders

to keep the next generation
within arm's reach.

Physically cut off from
the influences of alcohol,

peer pressure and
gangs, the children

and wayward young adults
will be more likely

to escape the lure
of the outside world.

Virtually pristine, life

on Rrakala more closely
resembles the world

in which the elders grew up.

Narrator: But establishing

such a homeland creates
significant challenges.

Encroaching fishing syndicates

from Asia have diminished
a once plentiful stock

of fresh marine life and
resources are dwindling.

#

Additionally, the
island is deserted.

There is no electricity,
no plumbing

and no homes or shelters.

Supplies and emergency
services are hours away by boat

or helicopter, all of which
create tremendous expense

for the clan.

Aboriginal children need
modern, formal education as well

as traditional, to keep
both worlds in balance.

Narrator: It is twice
as much work,

but the Yolngu must know both,

if they are to navigate an
unchartered future successfully.

The costs involved in this push
to Rrakala and the feasibility

of supporting the entire clan

on the island have
repeatedly proven

to be too great in
the short term.

And the family's
immediate needs cannot wait.

There are too many
stark reminders

of how much different life
is back home in Nhulunbuy.

The joy of visiting the island
fades as reality sets in.

Like everything for the clan a
day's catch is shared amongst

the entire family.

Narrator: A large yield of fish
and turtle eggs ensures that,

for today at least,
no one will go hungry.

This communal spirit permeates
every aspect of clan life,

which is crucial in
these lean times.

In this small community,

there are simply too few
financial opportunities

to generate the resources
required

to support even the most
basic living conditions.

Neither government assistance
nor the mine subsidy have ever

proved to be enough to
sustain the whole clan.

As has been done for thousands
of years, the clan must make do.

It functions as a collective,

each living life to
support the other.

In this way, everyone
gets not much, but enough.

Narrator: Rich in
spirit and traditions,

cultural tourism
has become a way

in which the Galpu
clan can survive.

There seems to be a global
fascination with the indigenous.

Many envision Aboriginals as
noble, exotic and carefree.

An idyllic people communicating
with the spirit world.

While in some ways
this holds true,

the reality is often
more serious,

with dire financial needs
facing most indigenous

people worldwide.

Narrator: Dhanggal's
education, English skills,

and business savvy help
her run these cultural

exchanges successfully.

#

Narrator: A few times a year,

these non-secretive
ceremonies are displayed

for tourists willing to make
the long journey to Nhulunbuy.

Narrator: Groups that come
and go are thrilled bearing

by the majesty of songs
and the traditions as old

as the ochre used to
paint the dancers' bodies.

These tourists snap photos
which they bring home to friends

and families as mementos
of their adventure.

#

Although authentic,

these performance showcase only
one aspect of Yolngu culture.

The real magic is
everything layered underneath,

manifest in every
aspect of daily life.

[SINGING AND DANCING]

Narrator: The remoteness

of Nhulunbuy requires nearly
all food and goods to be shipped

into Gove by air and sea,
multiplying the price

of basic necessities by three

and four times normal
retail cost.

Supporting an entire
clan on the modest income

from these performances
is next to impossible.

Narrator: It's a
subsistent life,

and some days the
family goes hungry.

#

Narrator: One of the most
critical issues facing

Aboriginal culture
is the fallout

from drug and alcohol abuse.

Both physically and
culturally they are ill-equipped

to assimilate these substances

and the community is profoundly
impacted by addiction.

With clan members living
in such close quarters,

often ten to fifteen
people per household,

the children's exposure to
substance abuse is compounded.

Narrator: Children who grow

up in this environment are more
likely to become alcoholics

and drug abusers themselves.

Narrator: Addiction rates can be
more than six times greater here

in Arnhem Land than in
the rest of the country.

With alcohol often
a major cause,

Aboriginals are three
times more likely

to commit suicide
than non-aboriginals.

Narrator: In the past, there
was limited exposure to drugs

and alcohol, but as
times have changed,

many clan elders have
fallen victim to abuse.

Within the family's
democratic social order,

a collective clan strategy
is difficult to achieve.

Narrator: On the road leading
into neighboring Yirrkala,

the Larrpan Patrol helps to
prevent the flow of alcohol

from being brought
into the community.

The patrol's impact
has significantly cut

down on late night disturbances.

Despite the constant
promise of social service

and outreach programs funded
by traditional land leases

to the mine, elders
are often left

to organize their own
grassroots community efforts.

Narrator: Heavy substance use

within the non-aboriginal
population

of adjacent Nhulunbuy, has
spilled over into the community.

Man: Fuck you.

Narrator: Djalu's home at
Birritjimi is just too close

to the major roads
leading to and from town,

which makes the control
of alcohol

and drug traffic
next to impossible.

#

In the face of these challenges,

when the female elders need
additional solace and strength,

they turn to Christianity.

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

Narrator: The Yolngu were first
indoctrinated by missionaries

in the 1930's, but their
spirituality has since evolved.

Narrator: Biblical stories

and Yolngu cosmology have
fused into a single faith.

[MUSIC AND SINGING]

Narrator: As in many
other aspects

of modern Aboriginal culture,
gospel hymns shift seamlessly

between English and Yolngu
matha, unifying two systems

of belief that provide
additional spiritual

and emotional support.

Maintaining Yolngu
identity while adapting

to Western culture, these songs
bridge the gap between worlds.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: There are no clear
answers for the Yolngu.

Their traditions and
value systems center

around their respect and
maintenance of the land

and adherence to its laws.

Ancestral Songlines cosmically
bind every member of the clan

to their collective history.

They often lose out
to the excesses

and constraints forced
upon them from the outside.

Newscaster: Mining company Rio
Tinto Alcan has been fined one

hundred sixty thousand dollars

in the Darwin Magistrates
Court for a petrol spill.

The company pleaded guilty

to spilling sixty two thousand
liters of unleaded petrol

into the soil and ground
water at its Gove sight

in Arnhem Land last year.

Julio Costa: We accept
the court fine.

I think it's not our
job to judge that.

I think we accept
the responsibility.

We are sorry for their harm.

Newscaster: The spill
contaminated an area

of nine thousand square meters.

The court heard the storage tank

at the facility didn't
have a license to operate

and during routine testing
conflicting readings were given

from inside the tank.

The company assumed its
readings were incorrect

but then discovered fuel in
the tank had been leaking.

Julio Costa: The tank has been
removed from the beginning

and the area has been
cleaned and if you go

to the area you will see a lot
of installations which are part

of the containment plan.

Newscaster: The company says

that containment plan has seen
it spend three million dollars

on cleaning up the spill
and stopping its spreading.

It agreed with the Territory's
Resources Department the petrol

leaked into the soil sometimes
to a depth of eighteen meters

and into ground water.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: Though quiet,
Djalu's wife, Dhoppia,

has been his faithful
companion for decades.

Like a mirror, she matches
her husband's graceful

movements perfectly.

Djalu's health remains in
the forefront of her mind.

Aboriginal Australians life
expectancy is ten years shorter

than other non-Aboriginals,
and untimely deaths

in the community are
disproportionately high

for such a small group.

As he has in the past, Djalu
must travel hundreds of miles

to seek specialized
medical care.

This time, he needs surgery.

It's not clear when
he'll be back.

Narrator: Djalu's health
concerns are a constant reminder

of the inevitable.

It forces the family to face
an uncertain future without him

to lead the way when
the road gets rough.

He is often silent,
watching, thinking,

devising a plan for the future.

He's hoping and praying there's
a solution lying in the grass.

As a Galpu leader,
Djalu carries the weight

of not only his family,
but all of the clan groups

across Arnhem Land
and Australia.

When he leaves, his
absence reverberates

out to the community,
creating a vacuum.

Lesser men often collapse
under the pressure.

Thankfully, with Dhoppia by his
side, Djalu is twice as strong.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: When the
roads are good,

the Galpu clan can
reach a second homeland

within a few hours
by 4-wheel drive.

Although remote, it provides
additional separation

from the troubles in town.

The Gikal homeland is
perhaps a more feasible option

for the family than Rrakalla.

Narrator: The neighboring Mata
Mata community has an airstrip,

running water, solar
power and a generator.

It is a working model for the
type of community the Galpu hope

to establish less than
a mile away at Gikal.

Having extended family so close

by also provides
a wider safety net

and additional support
for the family.

Narrator: The Yolngu have
been living harmoniously

with the land for tens
of thousands of years.

They care for the land as
the land cares for them.

Controlled burns fix
nutrients into the soil

and open fallen seed pods
that welcome the animals back

to the land after
the rains return.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: These smaller fires
prevent larger ones from burning

out of control in the future.

There is a mystical
language in the flames,

whispering its smoky secrets.

The hot sparks carry
the hopes and dreams

of a brighter tomorrow back
up to the spirit world.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: In Yolngu culture,
true wealth still resides

in a wisdom that cannot
be bought or sold.

On this beach, Dhoppia
conveys lifelong lessons,

passing on the richness
of tradition

for all the generations to come.

Just as she walked down
these shores at the foot

of Rainbow Cliff as a child with
her parents and grandparents,

she continues the legacy
of teaching by example.

From infancy, Yolngu children
learn the reef, the sea,

the sky is their
school, their textbook.

The need to preserve
sacred knowledge

of Yolngu life has taken

on greater importance
and immediacy.

These moments shared
are invaluable.

[MUSIC]

Narrator: It is not just Djalu
and Dhanggal's Galpu clan,

but the entire 5000 Yolngu
spread across Arnhem Land

that are at a crossroad.

It is less that the
old ways are dying,

but more that the Yolngu
are being pressured

to assimilate a new
way of living -

the inevitable adaptation
of Western values

that emphasizes wealth
over wisdom.

Balancing ancient and modern
worlds may not be impossible,

but it requires the
non-aboriginal world,

the balanda, to meet
the Yolngu halfway.

Narrator: Education

and employment opportunities
are crucial

for the Yolngu to survive.

Dhanggal and Djalu's
voices may often be soft

but they are resolved.

The stories they tell are
as old as the time itself.

The world would be
foolish not to listen.