“Soul music is about loss…so, every note that passes through your lips should have the tone of a woman who’s grasping and fighting and desperate to retrieve what’s been taken from her,” Sapphires manager, Dave (Chris Dowd).
Australia, 1968. War. Vietnam. Civil Rights. In Australia, a country that has an intolerant attitude towards their indigenous people, three aboriginal girls long for a music career. At a small-town talent contest, the girls sing a Merle Haggard number with gusto. The trio, soon to become known as the Sapphires, are the best group in the match, including the white girls. But, do they win?
The girls’ country sound attracts the attention of Dave, an alcoholic Irishman who sleeps in his car. The Sapphires dream of a recording contract, but Dave, who knows talent when he sees it, adds a fourth to the group, makes the singers over into more of a Motown quartet, and helps get them a military audition. “If you wanna perform for the brothers in Vietnam, you gotta have soul!”
“The Sapphires,” screening at the 2012 Santa Fe Film Festival, is a film about the healing power of music and four young girls who overcome politics to follow their vision of success. When their dreams grow legs and they travel to Saigon to entertain the troops, things get rough. In a scene similar to “Dreamgirls,” Sapphires singer Gail (Deborah Mailman) clashes with Dave over who should sing lead. The onscreen chemistry between the two gives the film its heart and soul.
The film’s pop music score is a toe tapper and gives the film continuity and momentum; it becomes the most successful part of the movie. The tumble of love stories, current events, (i.e. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination) and cameos of wounded soldiers might be too much for the film, if not for the phenomenal 1960s period music.
Based on a true story, “The Sapphires” is a triumphant mix of youth, longing, and soul.
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“The Sapphires” will screen at 4:15 p.m on Friday, December 7 at Center for Contemporary Arts Main Auditorium.
For more information and complete program and schedule, please visit the Santa Fe Film Festival website. To purchase tickets, visit TicketsSantaFe.org.
