My Name Is Gulpilil Explained

My Name Is Gulpilil is a 2021 documentary film about the life of celebrated Australian actor David Gulpilil, at the time sick with stage four lung cancer.

Synopsis

The film covers Gulpilil's acting career, his life in Murray Bridge, the cancer, alcohol addiction, and his various marriages and relationships.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Production

My Name is Gulpilil was directed by Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds.^[1]

It was mostly shot in 2017, with the expectation that Gulpilil (who died in November 2021) would not live much longer.^[6] The use of Gulpilil's name in the title, potentially problematic in Aboriginal culture after his death, was a deliberate choice by the actor.^[7]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary holds an approval rating of 100% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.^[8]

Awards

• Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award (AACTA): Winner, Best Documentary (Molly Reynolds, Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr, David Gulpilil); Best Editing in a documentary (Tania Nehme)
• Australian Screen Editors Award: Nominated for Best Editing in a Documentary Feature (Tania Nehme)
• Atom Awards: Finalist in three categories (Best Documentary – Arts; Best Documentary – Biography; Best Documentary – History); winner in the Biography and History categories^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: My Name Is Gulpilil. 2021-11-29. A Film Life. en.
2. Web site: NewsDesk. 2021-03-12. My Name Is Gulpilil reviews a sublime, human and elegant journey through the life of an indigenous actor in cinema. 2021-11-29. ExBulletin. en-US.
3. Web site: Forbes-Godfrey. Tara. 2021-03-13. Adelaide Festival Review: My Name is Gulpilil . 2021-11-29. Glam Adelaide. en-AU.
4. Web site: 2021-03-14. Festival review: My Name is Gulpilil. 2021-11-29. InDaily. en.
5. Web site: Byrnes. Paul. 2021-05-26. Filmic farewell to David Gulpilil is 'his last dance, his last song'. 2021-11-29. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
6. Web site: Paine. Will. 2021-05-20. Molly Reynolds: My Name Is Gulpilil. 2021-11-30. FilmInk. en-AU.
7. Web site: 2021-05-27. Interview: My Name Is Gulpilil director Molly Reynolds on having unfiltered access to David Gulpilil's life. 2021-11-30. The AU Review. en-AU.
8. Web site: My Name Is Gulpilil. Rotten Tomatoes. 2021-12-30.
9. Web site: My Name Is Gulpilil. 2021-11-30. The 2021 ATOM Awards.