River of No Return

2008, Australia, 52 min, Digital Beta, English and Yolngu Matha, North America Premiere
Director: Darlene Johnson

Presented as part of:
Opening Night Screening Presented by CTVglobemedia
River of No Return and Mémére Métisse
Oct 15 2008, 7:00PM
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West



“As a child I always wanted to become an actress just like Marilyn Monroe. I was told it was ridiculous for a Yolngu girl to have such fantasies.” Frances Daingangan is a 45 year-old mother of three and grandmother of six who was raised within the traditions and laws of her Gupapuyngu tribal culture and lives in a remote and struggling community in Northeast Arnhemland, Australia. She has always dreamed of becoming a movie star like her idol Marilyn Munroe. When she is cast in Rolf de Heer’s acclaimed hit Ten Canoes, she is catapulted out of her traditional life and onto the red carpets of international festivals such as Cannes. Finding a newfound determination, Frances is now forced to face the harsh reality that pursuing a career as an actor in the world of the balanda (white culture) may mean forsaking her traditional lifestyle. This remarkable documentary captures the incredible cultural gap that exists between the western industrialized world and remote Indigenous communities, and the spirit and determination of one woman going up against insurmountable odds in order to follow her dreams.