Indigenous doco on show at planetarium

A THREE-hundred-and-sixty-degree documentary showcasing Indigenous performing arts premiered regionally at the Discovery Centre’s planetarium last Sunday.

Titled Carriberrie, the film will play four more times in Bendigo, once a month until December, and has been shown at multiple international and national film festivals since its 2018 world premiere in Sydney.

General manager of the Discovery Centre Alissa Van Soest said she thought it was “incredible” that there is so much content being created that uses the unique projection methods of planetariums.

“I’d never heard of a planetarium until I moved to Bendigo, and then I got here, and I got to not only experience it but learn about them and the amazingly immersive experience that planetariums can be,” said Ms Van Soest.

“You’re not just looking at a screen, you’re surrounded by the image and the sound and it’s even more immersive than an IMAX video, you’re right in amongst it all, and you can sort of forget where you are.

“The fact that we’re now able to access content that other planetariums around the world use, it’s really exciting.

“It’s so cool to know that that’s now available to Bendigo, and that not only can we create our own content, but that we’re part of a network of other planetariums around the world who all share that content.”

While planetariums are generally places people go to see projections of space, Ms Van Soest said the dome-shaped screen offers other opportunities.

“It’s awesome, you do think planetarium and you think stars, but I’ve been under the ocean, I’ve been to the Great Barrier Reef, we went and visited the Grand Canyon last week” she said.

“I’m very excited for what opportunities this gives, and the fact that Carriberrie helps us get a step closer to recognising the incredible opportunities in terms of First Nations science and First Nations knowledge.

“And highlighting that, because there is such a wealth of knowledge out there and sometimes it’s hard for us to find that knowledge and to convey it.

“But I think Carriberrie’s one of those awesome opportunities where we get an insight into so many special stories that are being told, and it’s sort of an honour and a privilege to be part of those.”