By Laura BennettFriday 20 Dec 2024Hope AfternoonsMoviesReading Time: 2 minutes
Music has long been a gateway to empathise with the experience of others and find expression for our own.
Key points
- Witnessing the stories told about central Australia, Danielle wanted to tell a different story about the creative people who call it home.
- The film is an amalgamation of true events and characters Danielle encountered
- Under Streetlights in is cinemas now.
Alice Springs legal aid solicitor-turned-filmmaker Danielle Loy was captivated by the music of indigenous rapper and producer Jacob Harvey when the idea for her latest film Under Streetlights was born.
Witnessing the stories told about central Australia and “the negative imagery and perceptions” attributed to the region, Danielle wanted to tell a different story about the creative people who call it home.
“There’s a lot of focus on the challenges and the troubled youth in central Australia,” Danielle said.
“But there are so many stories that are different to that.
Witnessing the stories told about central Australia, Danielle wanted to tell a different story about the creative people who call it home.
“I wanted to bring people together [and] give opportunities to young people in a very remote – but very creative region – to explore their creativity and express themselves on their own terms.”
7 years ago, Danielle started a workshop for singers and musicians to hone their craft with the end goal of making a movie that would showcase the talent and heart of central Australia.
Under Streetlights is an amalgamation of true events and characters Danielle encountered, telling the story of young adults Ella and Izak who are from very different backgrounds but are brought together by their common love of making music and the challenge they both face having an alcoholic parent.
“Their worlds are different, but their journeys have a lot of similarities,” Danielle said.
“[Izak] is making hip-hop music and lives in an Aboriginal community on the outskirts of Alice Springs [and Ella] is living in the upper-middle class with her white policeman father making really melodic “songbird” style music.”
There distinctions become an avenue to understand and embrace difference, and Danielle believes “music is a beautiful universal force for that”.
“It transcends language, culture, spirituality and religion,” Danielle said.
Under Streetlights is an amalgamation of true events and characters Danielle encountered.
Having grown up “surrounded by stereotypes [and] people making blanket judgements and perceptions about people” Danielle realised with light skin she “got away with certain things in [her] own life because of the way [she] looked”.
“I’ve learnt through my own cultural behaviours to hide a lot of things,” Danielle said.
“[But] I think difference is a reason to celebrate and is beautiful – it makes the world tick and be so interesting.
“So, why is it used as this massive tool to divide people?”
Under Streetlights in is cinemas now.
Feature image: promotional image supplied and used with permission.