- With 27 full length scores for Bangarra Dance Theatre to his name, composer David Page helped drive a revolution in contemporary Indigenous dance. His music - for which he collaborated with over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists -channelled the hum of the land and left an extraordinary legacy. In this joyous concert documentary, Bangarra's dancers and creatives, along with Indigenous artists Archie Roach, Ursula Yovich, Hunter Page-Lochardand drag star Ben Graetz (a.k.a. Ms Ellaneous) pay homage to the man who was known to his friends, colleagues and loved ones simply as Dubboo.
- Composer and actor Roy David Page was a son, brother, uncle and cousin to the Nunukul people and Munanjali clans of the Yugambeh Nation from South East Queensland. David's music for Bangarra Dance Theatre channeled the hum of the land and helped drive a revolution in contemporary Indigenous Dance. David wrote 27 original scores for Australia's leading Indigenous performing arts company, and worked with over 100 traditional singers across the land in doing so. He died too young in 2016 at age 55. In December 2018, David's family, friends and peers gathered at Carriageworks Theatre in Sydney to celebrate his life and incredible achievements. Over three days the team behind the ABC documentary Firestarter -The Story of Bangarra captured the rehearsals, performances and behind the scenes moments that led to an evening equally sad and joyous as artists such as Archie Roach, Ursula Yovich and Djakapurra Manyarryun commemorated David, showcasing -with Bangarra's dancers -some of his most memorable works. Such was the spirit of the evening, that the filmmakers felt it demanded a separate documentary film in its own right. When Firestarter was finished the team got to work on Dubboo - using not just the imagery from Carriageworks, but archival interviews with David, interviews with his peers and collaborators and clips and stills from original Bangarra performances as well as film and theatre roles in which David starred - together forming a fitting testament to the enduring quality of his music and talent. Dubboo also features a unique, at times boisterous and at times deeply moving, interview with surviving Page siblings Geraldine, Janis, Roylene, Frances, Donna , Gail, Laurence and Michael. It is easy to see how they too are part of Bangarra's fabric and how their unique dynamic would have contributed to the sense of community David created at the company. Stephen Page - Bangarra's artistic director - was the initiator of the Dubboo show and led the creative team that put together the event. Unlike Firestarter though, he doesn't feature heavily on screen in Dubboo, except for one highly poignant moment when for the first time since David's passing, Stephen visits a storage facility that holds David's possessions. As he rummages through box after box, he finds newspaper articles, theater posters, vinyls, a Ukelele and even David's mixing board -the board he had used so often to create magic in his studio. The night at Carriageworks, and the film, end on a fabulous high when David's famous drag rendition of Tina Turner's classic Proud Mary is shown, and Bangarra's dancers, all in drag, join David for a glitter-filled finale to Dubboo. As he takes his final bow, and the audience is on its feet, it is abundantly clear why David had the impact that he had, and why his work will no doubt continue to inspire generation of artists to come. The documentary, created especially for NAIDOC week, hopes to contribute to this enduring legacy.
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By what name was Dubboo - Life of a Songman (2021) officially released in Canada in English?
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