ZACH’S CEREMONY

Australia, 2016, 97 minutes, Colour.
Zach Doomadgee, Alec Doomadgee.
Directed by Aaron Peterson.

This Australian documentary offers 97 minutes of information, emotions, conscience-challenging for Australian audiences, both indigenous as well as descendants of those who settled, and for international audiences who have questions about the place of aboriginal people in Australian society.

As the title indicates, the centre of the documentary is Zachariah Doomadgee, son of Alec.

Initial information tells the audience that while Alec took home videos of his son Zach, of his daughters, of his young son Bailey, it was only when Zach was 10, in 2009, that he began filming more consistently and in earnest. This means that the audience sees a portrait of Zach from age 10 to 16.

It is important to note that there is an introduction to aboriginal history, done with stylish and effective animation, to remind audiences what has happened in aboriginal history, in post-British settlement history, and the aboriginal sense of country and belonging to the land.

In order to appreciate this portrait of Zach, the audience has to remember that it is based on quite an amount of film stock, that editing decisions have been made, what to include, what to exclude, and the director’s perspective on Zach’s story as well is that of his father who was one of the producers.

At 10, Zach is extraordinarily articulate, thoughtful, giving a young boy’s insights into his family situation, the lightness of his skin (too light in the aboriginal communities, too dark in Sydney), his desire for understanding his background in aboriginal culture and the beginnings of his talking about experiencing the rituals and ceremonies which will mark his rite of passage to adulthood.

In these years, father and son have an extraordinary relationship, Alec very affirming, able to express emotions, love of his son, urging him to great things – and practically illustrated by training his son in boxing, Alec winning a bout, Zach also doing some public boxing. This bond between father and son is quite moving (a counterbalance to the famous cartoon by Bill Leak indicating that aboriginal fathers did not even know their sons’ names).

This is all the more moving because, as the years go by, Zach becomes a not untypical adolescent, stealing out of the home at night to meet girls, experimenting with alcohol and drugs, feeling resentful towards his father, stating that his father has too much in his attitude to shaping his son’s future. Zach wants to be free.

While he goes to Concord Boys High and suffers some bullying and racial discrimination, he is able to go to his father’s home country in the Gulf of Carpentaria, meeting his cousins, experiencing the bush, meeting some of the elders, avidly listening to the traditions and becoming more at home there. One of his main regrets is not often seeing his mother who has separated from his father and keeps her distance. In 2010, Alec marries again, a sympathetic white woman, Amy, who does her best to be stepmother to the children.

In 2014, Alec has the opportunity to go to the United States and sharing the experience of Native Americans – and, it is during his absence, that Zach begins to throw over some of the traces.

Nevertheless, Zach has this perpetual yearning to experience the Ceremony. His father arranges this, visits to North Queensland and to the Northern Territory, contact with the elders, with the keepers of the lore, taking some time to prepare the ground where the Ceremony will take place, a group of boys increasing the numbers with Zach, including Bailey. Zach still has some mixed feelings, especially wanting his mother to attend the ceremony.

The elders have given the director permission to film aspects of the Ceremony. Most audiences will have wondered about the Ceremony and what it means, what happens, as the advertising tag for the documentary says “awakening the warrior�.

While the film is very much male-oriented, there are glimpses of Zach’s sisters, a finally happy visit to his mother, the support and love Amy and her participation in the Ceremony, and interviews with a number of older women, their presence at the Ceremony, their singing.
Of course, this story is open-ended. Zach is only 16 (and, in many ways, his 16th birthday party, the crowds, drink, the police intervening, Zach wanting to control it, is a great disappointment). On the one hand, he seems more settled, even has a happy visit to his mother. He also participates in dancing at an aboriginal celebration at Circular Key. What he will do with his life is still open. But, the audience sees that he has been given more opportunities than so many aboriginal young men, with a comment of the number of suicides even in the town Doomadgee, 14 in the year, including one of Zach’s cousins.

It would be interesting to see what has happened to Zach in five year’s time and how he has begun his adulthood.

1. The impact of the documentary? For aboriginal audiences? For the wide Australian audience? International audiences? Aboriginal men in the 21st-century?

2. The director and his access to Zach’s story, the film footage? Alec Doomadgee and his filming his son, the conversations, support, clashes, hopes? From age 10 to 16? The visual diary, the editing, material included, material omitted?

3. The title, issues of rites of passage, initiation, Zach’s hopes, the focus on the ceremonies, the aftermath?

4. Zach, as a boy, as an adolescent, his journey to becoming a man? His place in his family? The tribal backgrounds from North Queensland? The heritage? In the 21st-century? Changes? A thoughtful boy at 10, becoming a troubled teenager? The absence of his mother?

5. The locations, Sydney in the western suburbs, northern Queensland and the bush, the Northern Territory towns, the deserts?

6. The picture of the family, Alec, as a father in Sydney, marrying Amy, the white woman as his wife, the stepmother, her sensitivity in the situation and the children? The sisters? Younger brother, Bailey? Life at Concord?

7. The father-son relationship, Alec and his background, his mistakes, North Queensland, parents, grandparents, elders? Having children when young? Not wanting Zach to repeat his mistakes? The focus on boxing, training, his own bouts, his decision to film his son, advice? The strong parenting, the love and expression of the love, but, to a large extent eventually smothering? Ideas, Zach’s preoccupation with the ceremony? Going to Queensland, the encouragement, Bailey and Amy?

8. The Sydney suburbs, Zach with a light skin, prejudice and bullying at school, Concord Boys High, the teachers not intervening? Zac assessment of is himself when ten? His intelligent and his own skill at boxing and his performance?

9. Feeling at home in Queensland, the land, the lore, rituals, dances, and painting, the elders, the bond with his cousin and the shock of his cousin’s suicide?

10. Zach, older, a troubled teenager, changing, wanting to be free, experimenting with drugs, drink, going out for girls, friends? Especially when Alec went to the United States and his three months with the Native Americans? Amy not wanting to intrude?

11. Bailey, the growing presence, the relationship between the two brothers, playful?

12. The ceremony, the preparation, the travel, over Queensland, the variety of landscapes in the Northern Territory? The discussions with the elders? Zach and his hopes?

13. The range of boys, preparing for the ceremonies, different ages, backgrounds?

14. The role of the elders, keeping the traditions, the range of discussions and personalities?

15. The surrender ceremony, the elders giving permission for the director to film various aspects, the scene, the men, the women present, including Amy participating in rituals? The boys, the different activities, the emphasis on being a warrior, the sticks and the beatings, the secrets?

16. The effect, the rite of passage for Zach, the importance of having some experience of ceremony?

17. Zach wanting his mother to be present, the past, the separation of his parents, her drinking? Then going for the visit, making peace with his mother?

18. His kicking over the traces, his reaction to his father, stressing that he wanted to be free?

19. The finale, putting on the ochre, the dances in the festival at Circular Key, participating?

20. The uncertainty about his future, his life as unfinished – but with hope?