Australian rock band Eskimo Joe and singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly lead an all-star cast in a series of short films that have had their world premiere today, as part of the opening celebrations for the new WA Museum Boola Bardip.
Shot exclusively in and around the new $400 million museum, the films are a collaboration between the WA Museum and Perth Festival. More than 100 people from Western Australia’s creative industries were employed to work on the films, which showcases WA’s world-class artistic talent throughout the museum’s heritage-listed buildings and contemporary spaces.
Directed by Renée Webster and David Vincent Smith, the films were created to reach interstate and international audiences unable to travel to WA due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Launched at the opening of the WA Museum Boola Bardip as the first visitors entered the museum, the series opens with Eskimo Joe and Stella Donnelly performing ‘From the Sea’ with members of the Perth Symphony Orchestra, under the museum’s spectacular 122-year-old blue whale skeleton.
The complete list of works is:
- From the Sea – performed by Eskimo Joe with Stella Donnelly and Perth Symphony Orchestra
- Abiogenesis – choreographer and dancer James Vu Anh Pham
- Waltzing the Wilarra – singing, music and lyrics by David Milroy featuring Lauralee Faith, Lucky Oceans, Wayne Freer and Ric Eastman
- Structural – choreographer Brooke Leeder
- The Wild Geese (After Catalpa) – performed by Perth Symphony Orchestra and composed by Iain Grandage.
The films can be viewed at https://www.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“This visually stunning series of films featuring Western Australian performers is a perfect celebration for the opening of our new WA Museum Boola Bardip.
“Everyone should go online and see for themselves the creative talent we have here in Western Australia, magnificently showcased in the new museum.
“Eskimo Joe, Stella Donnelly and the Perth Symphony Orchestra performing under the iconic blue whale is just fabulous, as are all of the absolutely wonderful performances in these films.
“Importantly, the films have also provided work for filmmakers and other local creatives who have been doing it tough during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Congratulations to Perth Festival and all those involved in the production for creating such an outstanding and long-lasting tribute to our new WA Museum Boola Bardip.”
