In 1978, Tom Lewis appeared in the Australian feature film, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. The life of the character he played was hauntingly close to his own, a young, restless man of mixed heritage, struggling for a foothold on the edge of two cultures. Tom's mother is a traditional Indigenous woman of southern Arnhem Land, his father a Welsh stockman who he never really knew. Yellow Fella is a journey across the land and into Tom's past, as he attempts to find the resting place of his father and to finally confront the truth of his most inner feelings of love and identity.
Acting
Lewis's raw, unguarded presence—no performance, just truth.
Direction
Sen's patient observation lets silence carry generations of weight.
Cinematography
The Australian landscape as character: beautiful, indifferent, witness.
Director
Ivan Sen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Tom E. Lewis was only 19 when cast in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), with no formal acting training—director Fred Schepisi spotted him at a Melbourne bar.
Ivan Sen, of Gamilaraay heritage, made this early in his career; he'd later become one of Australia's most acclaimed Indigenous filmmakers with Mystery Road and Goldstone.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
AU
