Hear a fresh radio interview with Julian Lennon on whaledreamers and
related matters (25 minutes)
Riding the wave - Garth Pearce
Julian Lennon resurfaced at the Cannes film festival looking about as
happy as one of the harpooned whales he is trying to save. He swore
off interviews eight years ago, in the wake of a family bust-up when
he criticised Yoko Ono, his father John's widow. But a surprise decision
by the Japanese government to resume whaling has made him blow his top.
I am devastated, he declares. If we witness the slaughter of the humpback
whale, it will outrage the planet. Apart from standing in front of the
harpoon, being on show is the only thing I can do to express my feelings.
Lennon, 44, has been living what he calls the life of a 'nomad' in
recent years. He has a home in Italy and travels around the Mediterranean,
concentrating on art, photography and music. He hasn?t made an album
since 1998, but is releasing one later this year about the problems
we face, environmentally and otherwise.
He has also produced a remarkable film, The Gathering: Return of the
Whale Dreamers. He had been content to let his old friend, the director
Kim Kindersley, promote the 86-minute documentary along La Croisette
to distributors. The film painstakingly links the splendour of whales
to the uncanny understanding of them by ancient civilisations around
the world. But, as Kindersley admitted, the subject matter failed to
inspire the money men and he was struggling to sell. Enter Lennon, on
the penultimate day of? the festival. Suddenly, buyers were queuing
on the beach to talk, pay homage and reach for their chequebooks.
My thought, says Lennon, who financed most of the film, is that, whether
it is the music, the family legacy, Dad's legacy or simply the name
itself, then at least use it in the right direction. The protection
of whales, he says, could not be a more fitting campaign.
Killing whales is not a long-standing tradition in Japanese culture,
he states. They only began to hunt and eat whales during the blockade
of Japan in the second world war. It is not necessary. But now the humpback
whale population has risen from 300 to 6,000 since a campaign of protection
began in 1975, the Japanese government thinks it's okay to start killing
again. Even 70% of the Japanese people don't want to kill whales.
Lennon, with longish dark hair pushed back from a high forehead, an
earring in his left ear and a cigarette held not far from his lips,
strikes a similar campaigning stance to his father. The only thing missing
is the Liverpool accent. He attacks his subject with the same mixture
of controlled anger, puzzlement and wry scorn that Lennon Sr showed
towards warring politicians. I have to say, though, that it was my mum,
Cynthia, who made me the conscious man I am today, he says.
Obviously, Dad had his beliefs and his way of doing things. But it
was Mum who taught me my values in life. It is out of respect for her
that I want to be a good son, a good man and a good human being. Times Online
"Personally, I must say that Whaledreamers is a rare and
magical film that goes beyond its medium to become a deeply touching
and moving experiential film that can be felt on a profound level."
Randall Libero, Spirit of Film - Conversations
"The film is visually stunning, featuring
beautiful images of whales, of fire and sky and earth, and of humans
in companionship at the gathering." Red Orbit
Content Agenda
"Today there is a new voice, to unite us all,
continuing the message of those like Gandhi and Al Gore to focus the
attention of the world toward the moral obligation we all have to make
changes that will help to save our planet. It is the voice of the award
winning globally released feature film “whaledreamers”. " Content Agenda
"A Must See film for all those who care about this planet… truly touched my core… wonderful… heartfelt… a powerful portrayal of how the events of September 11, global warming and… the ensuing war on terror are destroying us… [and] how powerful we are in making a difference" Judy Garrecht, LIVING NOW Magazine
Filmink Magazine
"...Utterly compelling"
Filmink magazine
ABC RADIO
"It is quite simple... this film needs to be seen... it needs to be experienced. I watched people cry, applaud, look dazed, be overwhelmed and some completely inspired... A roller-coaster journey with distinct messages about the plight of Earth and humanity. Fortunately it also offers hope... and not in Hollywood-style... but with clarity and heart."
ABC RADIO, NSW Australia
Half Moon Bay
"The film intertwines underwater footage with ancient, anthropological
and cultural legend, optimism and spiritual strength, and interweaves
ideas as to the future of human civilization." Half Moon Bay Review
Here on Earth
"Jean Feraca talks with British film director Kim Kindersley and his whale whisperer." Here on Earth
Rotten Tomatoes
"The aborigines he features center their culture--as well as their creation myth--on whales, even though both the tribe and the whales are slowly disappearing." Rotten Tomatoes
Video Business
"“Whaledreamers is exactly what we were looking for
in that film—it’s not preachy, but it shares the awe
and inspiration that we should all have for Mother Nature.”
" videobusiness
Johanna Kern,
Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival - Toronto
"The film sent chills through the audience and shook them to their roots. We were honoured to begin our festival with such a powerful call from aboriginal elders to remember who we are, where we come from, what's going on and where we need to go. The producers of the film sent this powerful message with superb writing, directing and cinematography. And the music is to die for. Toronto LOVED the film!"
-Johanna Kern, Executive and Artistic Director
Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival - Toronto
ABC TV
"Be inspired. Don't miss out on this inspiring documentary that brings about a timely message of hope and opens our eyes... rich narrative… breathtaking images of the whale and dolphins... viewers are granted special access to the unique gathering that took place on that cliff-top… and are reminded of what it means for people to reconnect with their culture, the natural world and each other."
ABC TV Sydney
Movies @ SBS
"Whaledreamers charts Kendersley’s personal odyssey to end
the practice of whaling. To make his point, he draws on the deep
spiritual connections that exist between ancient tribes and the
endangered animals, focussing on the Mirning people of the Nullarbor,
whose efforts to reconnect with the spirit animals of their dispossessed
sacred land leads the film’s narrative." SBS
Get ready to blubber in Whaledreamers
courtesy - The Sydney Morning Herald
A new documentary takes viewers whale-watching around the world,
writes Charles Purcell
We're officially in whale-watching season. From May to November,
humpback whales travel to and from their feeding grounds in the
Antarctic and can be spotted along the NSW coastline.
Last month Sydneysiders demonstrated just how much they love
the majestic mammals when baby Collette (initially called Colin)
was abandoned by its mother.
Bunna Lawrie, one of the stars of director Kim Kindersley's documentary
Whaledreamers , made a special effort to help poor Collette, which
was so driven to desperation that it tried to suckle from boats
moored in Pittwater.
"Bunna Lawrie, our Mirning songman, who has become known
as the 'whale whisperer', was permitted by the authorities to
go out and sing to the calf," Kindersley explains.
"The whale came right to him and communicated back, which
was deeply moving. Sadly, Collette was put down despite Bunna's
recommendation that she had the strength to hook up with a passing
pod."
It was surprising how much emotion our jaded city demonstrated
about Collette's fate. "The whole city dropped its heart
into something real for a moment," Kindersley says.
Narrated by Jack Thompson and produced by Julian Lennon, Kindersley's
moving film is filled with gorgeous shots of whales and dolphins.
It reveals how an ancient Australian whale tribe came back from
the edge of extinction.
"It also poses the question: 'Can humanity wake up in time
to avoid becoming extinct itself?' So, quite a jolly little film,
really."
So do whales and humans really have a special connection?
"Yes. Why does Marine World, which is a heart-breaking spectacle
by the by, make millions every year? This connection is ancient
and profound."
With whales under threat from hunting as well as the effects
of climate change, Kindersley urges people to appreciate these
magnificent creatures while they can.
He says the best whale-watching spots in Sydney include Cape
Solander in Botany Bay National Park, Manly or the cliffs at Coogee.
Several companies run regular tours from Sydney Harbour. You won't
be alone - the tourist industry estimates that some 1.2 million
international and domestic people took to a boat for whale or
dolphin watching in Australia last year.
Whaledreamers is now showing at the Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne.
Julian Lennon resurfaced at the Cannes film festival looking about as
happy as one of the harpooned whales he is trying to save. He swore
off interviews eight years ago, in the wake of a family bust-up when
he criticised Yoko Ono, his father John's widow. But a surprise decision
by the Japanese government to resume whaling has made him blow his top.
