Cracks in the Mask
1997•57m•7.0•Released
Documentary
A century ago the Torres Strait Island were the subjects of the famous Cambridge Anthropological Expedition - the resulting depletion of their cultural artifacts left them with nothing but a history of remembered loss. The only people in the Pacific to make elaborate turtleshell masks have none left - they are all in foreign museums. In a quest to reclaim the past, Ephraim Bani, a wise and knowledgeable Torres Strait Islander, travels with his wife to the great museums of Europe where his heritage lies. The film, an SBS Independent production, shows that the thickest of masks cracks when a descendant of the original owners enters a museum.
Director
Frances Calvert
Writer
Frances Calvert
Languages
English, French, German
Studio
SBS Independent
Cast
Ephraim Bani
Self / Narrator
Petharie Bari
Self
Stewart Coulter
Self
Antonia Lovelace
Self
Charles Hunt
Self
Anthony Shelton
Self
Jacques Hainard
Self
Anita Herle
Self
Markus Schindlbeck
Self
Production
Company
SBS Independent
Company
Talking Pictures
Company
SF DRS/ SRG SSR idée suisse
Company
WDR
Producer
Frances Calvert
Producer
Lindsey Merrison
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