The film ‘The Sapphires’ expresses cultural identity through its characters and use of film techniques to contrast individuals through a scene called ‘Kay’s Story’. Cultural identity is portrayed as a central part of a person’s wellbeing and belonging, evident in the flashback that links Kay to her Indigenous heritage through its imagery. Kay is portrayed as having both European and indigenous origins. The selected scene is important to the film as it demonstrates the difficult past of Kay. Kay is taken from her original family and put into foster care with a white family, placing her mixed upbringing into the foreground. The audience is positioned to feel sympathetic towards Kay due to the challenges she faces. To demonstrate Kay’s struggle, when returning from her mother’s funeral, Wayne Blair (the author) uses a flashback technique showing intense communication between Gail and Dave. The scene uses dark lighting, rain and a chaotic environment to bring the audience to feel sad about Kay’s struggle. This period in the film highlights Kay’s struggle with her identity and her sense of belonging as she reconnects with her indigenous …show more content…
The film shows indigenous music during the scene, which creates a picture of a happy past for Kay and her family. This scene also captures tension between Kay and her family when it uses graphic images of her choices displaying the pain of her past. This imagery is aligned to another part where the violent actions of Gail towards Kay are heightened by intense music that demonstrate that they still have unsolved issues. Kay’s internal conflict surfaces as she navigates the divide between her indigenous heritage and her European lifestyle. This contrast is shown by changing scenery, changing moods and language. The use of language in her early life is cheerful whereas the use of language prior to her reconnecting with her family shows