Tjanpi Desert Weavers in Award-Winning Short Film
The Tjanpi Desert Weavers is known for the vibrant fibre art created by the many hands of its First Nations women artists in the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands in Australia’s outback.
Recently, the NPY Women’s Council social enterprise hit the big screen with a delightful short film, winning two awards in the 2022 Sydney Film Festival. Tangki (Donkey) is a heart-warming story about the introduction of donkeys to the desert community of Pukatja (Ernabella) in the APY Lands and the special bond that was formed between the Aṉangu people and the tangkis.
Tjanpi artists Elizabeth Dunn and Imuna Kenta worked alongside a team of artists, storytellers, producers and creatives to bring the characters to life in stop-motion animation centering on one very special beloved donkey named Wilma.
The film was supported by the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and the Arts program. Watch the preview here: https://bit.ly/Tangki_Donkey
Pictured are stills from the feature by Animator and Co-Director Jonathan Daw.