Whaledreamers (DVD Review)

2 Nov, 2008 By: Holly J. Wagner

Street 11/4/08
Monterey
Documentary
Box Office $0.006 million
$19.95 DVD
Not rated.

Filmmaker Kim Kindersley and recording artist/film producer Julian Lennon take us on a spiritual journey in Whaledreamers, which brings us into the world of the dwindling Western Australian Mirning tribe, who are deeply connected to the sea.

Whales are the earthly representation of God to the Mirning, who also revere the wonders of nature. They believe their land is the gateway to the universe, and their dreams are the portal that bridge past, present and future.

The film is beautifully shot and emotionally stirring, and should cross over the boundaries that will make it appeal to peaceniks and environmentalists.

The Mirnings’ modern story is one that has been repeated all over the world: Industrialization meets indigenous peoples, and the natives lose.

At the center of the film is a weeklong gathering of tribal elders and shamans from other parts of the world, building spiritual connections and showing support for the Mirning. The more time they spend together, the more they see what their struggles have in common. Anglo participants get a unique view of tribal cultures, their connection to the earth and how “progress” threatens their existence.

Many discuss their belief that world events, such as the invasion of Iraq, seem to them to be the wages of humanity losing its divine connection to each other and the planet.

Lennon tells how the 35 million people who took to the streets all over the world to protest the Iraq war gave them hope that the natives’ message could still be heard, and that despite the headlines, more people in the world want peace than want war and destruction. In doing so he continues with his father’s dominant message: Give peace a chance.