In Warwick Thornton's short video series, the director and artist profiles the powerful and revered Ngangkari healers of his community, drawing parallels between them and the Jedi of Star Wars.
&quot;Seeing Star wars in 1979 Thornton recalls that he was instantly enthralled by the fantasy it presented and the power of the Jedi... 'In my family we have Jedi', he has written. 'They are not called that; they are called Ngangkari, men and women with special powers that can be used for good or evil. The power to heal and the power to kill. They are recognised at birth and taught the ways of the Ngangkari. They are medicine men and women, but on a more spiritual and astral plane. At that time, two of my Uncles were esteemed Ngangkaris, healing the sick, fighting evil, travelling hundreds of kilometres through the desert&hellip; So at this age, the way of the Jedi, or the Ngangkari, was, for me, a reality. Thanks George Lucas'.&quot; (National Gallery of Australia, Canberra).

Documentary

Fantasy

the-way-of-the-ngangkari

Warwick Thornton

In Warwick Thornton's short video series, the director and artist profiles the powerful and revered Ngangkari healers of his community, drawing parallels between them and the Jedi of Star Wars.

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The Way of the Ngangkari