Journey Home, David Gulpilil

A powerful record of grief, community and ceremony in which the renowned Indigenous actor is laid to rest on his Homeland of Gupulul in Arnhem Land, NT.

A Yolŋu man, David Gulpilil lived a traditional life in the Arafura Swamp before being cast at age 16 in his first film, Walkabout, in 1971. He became an industry trailblazer, always navigating two worlds – although his Yolŋu culture was rarely in the spotlight. Before his death in 2021, Gulpilil’s family promised to lay him to rest at his birthplace of Gulpulul, and guide his spirit back to a sacred waterhole known as Marawuyu. This would prove an epic journey involving planes, boats and helicopters, and months of waiting for the right seasonal conditions. It＇s the remarkable final chapter of his incredible story, as narrated by Hugh Jackman and cultural storyteller Baker Boy and skilfully chronicled by co-directors Maggie Miles and Trisha Morton-Thomas.