Anniversary of Jedda’s World Premiere: Rosalie Kunoth-Monks and Robert Tudawali

3 January 1955

A landmark premiere in Darwin

Jedda had its world premiere at the Star Picture Theatre in Darwin on 3 January 1955. The National Film and Sound Archive preserves material documenting that event.

Directed by Charles Chauvel, the film starred Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, credited at the time as Ngarla Kunoth, and Robert Tudawali. The anniversary is an opportunity to recognise their performances and the visibility of Aboriginal actors in a major Australian feature. It should not be described as an Aboriginal-directed production.

Achievement within a complicated history

Jedda is recognised as Australia’s first colour feature film. Its place in cinema history includes technical and performance achievements, but also questions about who wrote Aboriginal characters and controlled the stories presented to audiences.

The NFSA’s account records racial segregation at the premiere, with the two Aboriginal stars permitted to sit with white attendees. Recognition on screen therefore existed alongside unequal treatment. The anniversary can hold those facts together without treating the film as a complete or authoritative picture of Aboriginal life.

A viewing activity should identify the film’s director, performers, production context and period. Look for Aboriginal perspectives on its reception and legacy. Celebrating a performance does not require accepting every assumption in the screenplay or treating a fictional story as a cultural reference source.

Looking beyond the film’s release

Rosalie Kunoth-Monks and Robert Tudawali should be recognised by name rather than absorbed into a generic account of a pioneering film. The archive materials provide a starting point for learning more about the people whose performances made that history possible.

Compare a premiere record, a film clip and later commentary. What does each source reveal about the opportunities available to actors and the limits placed on representation? Credit the performers and use authorised copies when planning a screening.

Sources and further reading

• Jedda premiere at the Star Theatre, Darwin — National Film and Sound Archive
• Jedda: Jedda dreaming again — National Film and Sound Archive
• Jedda film poster and cast — National Film and Sound Archive

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