Page 18 - Port Douglas Magazine 47

FROM LAND TO SEA

The People’s Story

WORDS by Maura Mancini

en, the most memorable discoveries happen without planning. One of the standout works, The Hunter, captures this with striking clarity. A lone

Earlier this year in Cairns, I stepped into an exhibition that lingered figure, the ocean, the act of survival. There is no spectacle, no excess, just presence.

long a er its closing date. ‘From Land to Sea: e Peoples Story’, It is an image that holds its own narrative without the need for words.
Opresented across January and February, introduced me to the work The project itself evolved organically. Long in discussion between Salpietro and

of Port Douglas-raised photographer and lmmaker omas Salpietro, an artist Brown, it came to life when both were working again on Country in Far North

whose images feel suspended in a moment that hasn’t quite passed. Queensland. Building on Brown’s established documentary relationships with
A collaboration between Salpietro and filmmaker Marty Dryden Brown, the First Nations communities, the work was shaped through trust, collaboration,

exhibition moves beyond a purely visual experience. Through striking black- and time. The result is a cinematic interplay of still and moving image, where each

and-white imagery and moving projections, it offers an immersive exploration of medium informs the other.
culture, connection, and Country, grounded in collaboration with Kuku Yalanji Salpietro’s black-and-white approach lends a cinematic edge, where contrast and
custodians of Far North Queensland. light are used to shape each image and deepen its sense of atmosphere.
At its core is a simple yet profound idea: land and sea are not separate, but part of
a continuous living system that shapes identity, culture, and belonging. THE EYE OF A FILMMAKER

For many Port Douglas locals, Salpietro’s name is familiar from the film world.
WHERE STORY BEGINS WITH PLACE Raised in the Far North, his entry into the industry came almost by chance,

‘From Land to Sea: The Peoples Story’ is anchored in Far North Queensland, landing a job as a set runner on The Pacific when a Hollywood production rolled

developed on Country through close collaboration with Kuku Yalanji community into his hometown. What began as a one-off opportunity quickly turned into a
voices. Guided by relationships and shared understanding, the work unfolds from career that has now spanned nearly two decades.
within rather than observing from a distance. Since then, he has worked behind the scenes on major productions including

This grounding gives the images their quiet authority. They do not seek to explain, Avatar, The Mummy, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, eventually rising to

but to reveal, offering glimpses of a lived connection where land and ocean exist head of department set decorator. Crafting environments that feel authentic on

as one continuum. screen has shaped the way he sees the world, and that influence carries seamlessly
“Shallow Steps”
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