For the past 11 years or so, Delhi-born Naina Sen has called the Northern Territory or Darwin, to be more precise, her home. A documentary filmmaker and a video artist, Sen says the land, people, culture and rich history of this unique region have inspired her works.
We will delve into Sen’s journey a little later in the story. First, let’s talk about the Gertrude Street Projection Festival (GSPF), which returns for its 15th year on 27 July, where Sen showcases two of her works.
Every year, the festival projects video works on the buildings of the street with its old, layered history. Sen’s works Vortex and Mabbúlarr form part of this iconic festival that weaves together community, art, public spaces, night and sublime light installations for everyone to enjoy.
“Both Vortex and Mabbúlarr were made in 2021 but they haven’t been projected in Melbourne yet, so it is wonderful they are getting their second life,” says Sen over phone from Darwin.
In Vortex, Sen explores the feeling of being suspended between time and place during the pandemic. It delves into themes of longing, displacement, isolation, and identity, using film, paint, oil, and milk. Originally commissioned by Creative Accomplice, the project received support from the Australian Government through Festivals Australia.
Mabbúlarr, also commissioned by Creative Accomplice, she explains, is a collaboration with textile and multimedia artist Josephine James and her mother, senior Kunibídji elder Joy Garlbin, traditional owner of Maningrida.
Joy and Josephine work with Bábbarra Women’s Centre in textile art to preserve stories linked with country, clan totems and Djang (ancestral creator beings).
Mabbúlarr is a film that weaves the tale of two creatures, the turtle marláddja and the stingray marnandjúbba. Through a captivating mix of textile art and moving images, the film connects the traditional sea turtle hunting method with the ceremonial dance, MiÍddjarn.
“We combined textitle art and moving images to connect the fabric of the actual story. Aboriginal people have been practicing interdisciplinarity for 60,000 years, with stories intertwined with song, dance, painting, and totemic body marking. Mabbúlarr is a contemporary extraction of that traditional story,” says Sen.
This non-narrative video artwork features a captivating soundscape of the country. When viewing it on Gertrude Street, you can scan a QR code to listen to the sounds of the ocean and immerse yourself in the story’s connection to the place.
A Delhi St Stephen’s College graduate, Sen came to Melbourne in 2001 to study a Master’s degree in filmmaking from La Trobe University.
“During my time in Melbourne, I worked as a freelancer at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), where we had a storytelling project. Our task was to help individuals share a 3-minute digital story about their life or anything meaningful to them,” she reflects.
She found herself collaborating with the Koorie Heritage Trust, and it turned out to be a profoundly impactful experience for her. Having lived in Melbourne for seven years, Sen was shocked to realise how little she knew about the rich Aboriginal history of this country.
As a migrant in Australia, working with the Koorie Heritage Trust became Sen’s first meaningful interaction with Aboriginal people and the country itself. “Despite being young at the time, I unexpectedly felt a sense of familiarity and connection that left a profound impact on me.”
She started questioning her reasons for wanting to call this country home. So when an opportunity arose to work in the Northern Territory (NT), she made the bold decision to move there in 2008.
Moving to Darwin was a game-changer for Sen. While being closer to Bali and Singapore than to Melbourne made it feel like home. the weather, the vibrant South Asian communities, and the thousands of years’ old cliffs by the beach – all added to the sense of familiarity.
“Living here, I am constantly reminded of the land’s rich history, and it feels like a privilege to be a part of it. Working with exceptional artists on documentaries and video installations has been an incredible journey for the past 10-14 years. Choosing to live in the NT with its First Nations culture at the core was a conscious decision for me. Understanding what Australia means to me was essential in making it my second home,” she says.
In 2012, Sen started her full-time independent arts practice, establishing her production company Indigo Productions, working as an independent filmmaker and video artist extensively with remote Aboriginal communities in North-East Arnhem Land and the Central Desert in the Northern Territory.
Sen’s notable works include the installation film Wanarn Is Our Home for Our Land Our Body exhibition, which won the Australian Arts in Asia Award 2013.
‘Colours of Our Silk, Stories of Our Land’; A video installation with senior textile artists from Groote Eylandt was a NATSIAA New Media Award Finalist in 2018.
In 2017, Sen directed her debut feature documentary, The Song Keepers, focusing on the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir. The film received critical acclaim, earning nomination for the Walkley Documentary Award for Excellence in Journalism.
In 2020, she directed and produced the 8-part AACTA-nominated series Jimmy Shu’s Taste of The Territory for SBS Food, spotlighting the multicultural tapestry of the Top End of Australia, with a focus on South Asian migration to the Northern Territory.
Sen says video art is a significant part of her creative practice, but it stands in contrast to the traditional documentary style. However she enjoys both mediums.
“I have been lucky to be able to do the type of work I am doing,” says Sen.
For Sen, collaboration and long term relationships are the core foundation of all her work. “Without true collaboration and true relationships there is no authenticity of works.”
(The Gertrude Street Projection Festival (GSPF) kicks off Thursday, 27 July)
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Delhi-born filmmaker Naina Sen finds inspiration in Australia's Northern Territory, showcasing her works 'Vortex' & 'Mabbúlarr' at the Gertrude Street Projection Festival, preserving traditional stories in contemporary art forms. #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/HTcrceWWpR
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