Children of the Crocodile: A Film by Marsha Emerman 2001
Distributed by Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-0606
Produced by Marsha Emerman
Directed by Marsha Emerman
VHS, color, 52 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Anthropology, Asian Studies, Human Rights, Sociology
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Kathleen L. Sacco, Coordinator of Systems and Technology, Daniel A. Reed Library, SUNY College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NYChildren of the Crocodile chronicles two years in the life of two young Timorese-Australian women and their efforts to find their cultural identity while helping fight for the freedom of East Timor from the Indonesian government.
Having come to Australia in a wave of refugees that escaped East Timor in the mid-70’s both Elizabeth Exposto and Cidalia Pires have little memory of their homeland. Throughout the film, both women try to connect with the Timor they never really knew, relying on the stories of family and friends. Elizabeth becomes a human rights activist fighting for Timor’s independence, and Cidalia works hard to display Timor’s culture through theatre and dance. After independence in 1999, the film follows Elizabeth in her work for a human rights organization helping her country get back on it’s feet, and Cidalia struggles to decide whether to go with her family to live in a country she never knew, or stay in Australia alone teaching Timor culture through music and dance.
The story told here is a very personal one. In the process of learning about the lives of these two young women, we also learn the history of Timor, it’s culture and it’s people. Well filmed and edited, this film would make a great addition to any cultural studies collection. Highly recommended.