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Name David Gulpilil
Birth Year 1953
Comments David Gulpilil' s first film appearance was in Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg, 1971)and he consequently starred in such films as Storm Boy, The Last Wave, Mad Dog Morgon, Dead Heart and Crocodile Dundee. Gulpilil's television credits include: Kirby's Company, Rush, Outsiders, Boney, Naked Under Capricorn and The Man From Snowy River.
Gulpilil, originating from Arnhem Land, was initially a dancer in a traditional Aboriginal dance troupe which toured the world. His roles on screen have gained him much acclaim. Many film texts refer to him in regards to the impact his roles had on the traditional representations of Aborigines and their culture in texts.
Gulpilil was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1987.
In Walkabout, Gulpilil played a young Aboriginal man crossing the desert as part of his tribal initiation whose destiny it was to encounter two lost English children. Gulpilil's role as 'rescuer' of this girl and boy, as knowing the land and fitting into his environment in contrast to the English children is emphahsised by the fact his character speaks a traditional dialect throughout the film - presented without subtitles. Gulpilil's presence on screen is powerful in its ease and grace - the fate of his character is arguably symbolic of the terrifying clash of two different cultures unable to co-exist.
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