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Ten Canoes: Nudity, Penis Jokes, Killer Culture
One of the beautiful aspects of film is its ability to transport us to strange and unusual worlds. Compared to our gridlocked streets of LA and million dollar homes, nothing could be more strange or unusual than a film about mostly-naked aboriginal tribesfolk cruising around in canoes in the northern Australian forests.
Ten Canoes, opening tonight at the Nuart and playing through Thursday, is not only a breath of fresh air visually thanks to beautiful shots by cinematographer Ian Jones, but it's also surprisingly funny.
Smarter than The Gods Must Be Crazy but less serious than Rabbit Proof Fence, Dutch directors Rolf de Heer and Peter Djigirr show us life in the Aussie wilderness complete with two intertwining tales that cover some of the complexities surrounding mysticism, polygamy, and violence.
And yes, it's shot entirely in the native language of Ganalbingu.
Perfectly.
Quite worthy of all the awards it has won from Cannes to the Australian Film Institute where it swept the awards from best film to best director and best cinematographer, it's a calm and beautiful walk through the woods who live very differently than you and I, and yet the similarities are wonderful.
Sponsored message
For some reason we hadn't been to the Nuart since they remodeled the place last summer (could we really have stayed away for a year?!?!) and the new seats are an excellent upgrade for a theater that normally shows great films. Ten Canoes is no exception and being in a dark room, surrounded by strangers, as you all enter the strange and unusual world together, is another super fun experience that only a theater can provide.
Especially when we all laugh together.
Awwwww.
Ten Canoes
Nuart thru July 26
11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, just west of the 405 Freeway
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 281-8223
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