Adrian Strong

Adrian Strong is an anthropologist and ethnographic filmmaker with experience in Africa and Australia. He is currently completing his PhD at Griffith University on representation of indigenous people in documentary. In Africa he worked with the Kalahari San (in Namibia) and his doctoral studies focus on the 50 years of ethnographic documentary by American filmmaker John Marshall with whom he worked in the late 1980s. Adrian also studied documentary with Australian filmmaker Mike Rubbo at QUT.

In 2007 together with fellow filmmaker Sean Gilligan, Adrian conducted media-making workshops in schools on Palm Island under the auspices of Strong & Smart Inc. The Palm Island community invited Strong and Gilligan to make a film about the history of neighbouring Fantome Island, a former leprosarium. The making of the feature length documentary took place over the next few years, during which time Adrian also completed Bitter Roots his thesis film about the Kalahari San (www.der.org/films/bitter-roots.html) which screened at a number of international film festivals.

Adrian has also made films for the Australian National University about an Arnhem Land Elder and several documentaries for Griffith University about perspectives on 'Contact period' Rock Art featuring Australian archeologists and Aboriginal Traditional Owners. Adrian holds Masters degrees in Physics, Mythology & Depth Psychology and has worked in international aid, international business and academia. He is currently based in the UK and France.

Filmography

FANTOME ISLAND » In 1945 seven year-old Joe Eggmolesse was diagnosed with leprosy. He was taken from his family under police escort and transported by rail and sea over a thousand kilometres to Fantome Island where he was incarcerated for the next ten years...