The Sapphires

On the weekend I went with my mother, my sister and my recently turned eleven year old daughter to see The Sapphires.




The Sapphires is an Australian film about three Aboriginal sisters and a cousin who team up with an Irish manager and go to Vietnam to entertain the troops.
It is set in the 1960s, amidst a background of racism and the civil rights movement, the forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families, soul music, go go dancing and of course, the Vietnam war.



The sisters live at Cummeragunja Mission on the Murray River which divides New South Wales and Victoria. Mum says it must be on the NSW side since they don't drink Resch's beer in Victoria! They are from the Yorta Yorta people. They start out as the Cummeragunja Songbirds, singing country and western tunes in talent contest at the local pub. They are not welcome at the pub since they are Aboriginal, and the first prize is given to a talentless white woman. The MC of the talent contest is a drunkard named Dave, and the girls persuade him to take them to Melbourne to audition for a job entertaining American troops in Vietnam. Dave realises that they can be a big success, especially with the youngest sister Julie (played by Jess Mauboy of Australian Idol fame).One of my favourite parts of the film is when Dave has to go out to the mission with the girls to ask their parents' permission to take them to Vietnam. The whole extended family comes out onto the verandah to consider his "application". Their parents are not very happy about the idea, but Dad suggests they take their cousin Kay along and makes Dave promise to look after the girls.

Of course, the girls wow them at the audition in Melbourne, change their name to the Sapphires and sing their way into the hearts of the Americans. Plenty of action and romance follow, but the girls always remember their family and the land where they belong. It was one of those movies where I laughed and cried. The scenes at the mission by the river were sunlit and hazy, the family were shown as content with their surroundings and their life in community, although the girls were ambitious and not content to be ignored. In Vietnam we saw the green fields but mostly it was dark and a bit scary.

I loved the way the girls were determined to follow their dreams, but did not forget their family and where they came from.

It is inspired by a true story, and you get to see the real Sapphires at the end.
You can find out more about this movie on the distributor's website, and I have filled out the parent's advisory on IMDB. It is rated PG for  "mild violence, themes, coarse language and sexual references".


Here is a treasury I made from vintage and vintage inspired items on Etsy.

'The Sapphires' by bananaorangeapple

Just saw an amazing Australian movie today. Highly recommended!

Light in the Dark ddisillusion $24.95	paisley gogo dress bluesvilleusa $32.00	Modern Silver Hoop Earrings,... marygracejewel... $21.00	Vintage Map of Asia and Adja... HobartCollecta... $5.23
Vintage 60s MOD SILVER Metal... fabulousmessvi... $195.00	Beautiful Vintage /retro Pri... dart153 $50.00	Vintage 80s Huge Black Sequi... RATBAGRAGS $29.00	Vintage retro dress, small -... sesslebvintage... $38.00
Glitter nail polish - "... EmilydeMolly $10.00	Sunshine yellow bohemian mex... GypsyTongueBaz... $30.00	River lilies (A3 11 x 16 inc... gregorybishop $25.00	she likes to roam far - prin... FleurRendell $400.00
Sunshine Clouds Print, Seasc... Colourscape $15.00	Vintage 90s Mod Ribbed Sweat... RATBAGRAGS $19.00	I Have a Dream - Martin Luth... no9images $30.00	Amazing kelly green sequined... wornstitches $98.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house