Peter Djigirr

Peter Djigirr is a Djinba man from the Arafura Swamp region near Ramingining in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
He came to prominence as one of the real forces behind the creation of the film Ten Canoes (2006), driving community support for it, playing one of the ten Canoeists and ultimately ending up as the film's co-director. His capacity to somehow see things cinematically (without ever having been to the movies) contributed enormously to the film's final success and its prize- winning presence (along with Djigirr's presence) at the Cannes Film Festival.

He next played a role in Darlene Johnston's Crocodile Dreaming (2007) and worked diligently on the cultural aspects of Molly Reynolds' Twelve Canoes and other "Canoes" projects.

It was not until 2013 that another substantial involvement with a film presented itself in the form of Rolf de Heer's Charlie's Country, which Djigirr co-produced and in which he played the second lead role of Black Pete. It was an expressioned and nuanced performance, and consolidated Djigirr's reputation as an actor.

Running parallel to Charlie's Country were the feature documentaries by Molly Reynolds, Still Our Country and Another Country, both of which Djigirr co- produced and on which he was lead cultural advisor.

Charlie's Country once again took Djigirr to Cannes, and on this occasion he accepted, on behalf of the winner David Gulpilil, the Best Actor Prize in Un Certain Regard. Djigirr consequently gained enormous attention in the streets of Cannes, as most people thought he was David Gulpilil, something he at no point contradicted. Now Djigirr aims to be back in Cannes once more, maybe this time as the star of a film in his own right.

Filmography

MY NAME IS GULPILIL » “I’m an actor, I’m a dancer, I’m a singer and also, a painter. This film is about me. This is my story of my story...