It may seem hard to believe but the Australian outback in the late 19th century was a crossroads of diverse cultures. The Aboriginal peoples not only found themselves sharing their ancestral homelands with Christian missionaries but also, Afghan Muslim camel drivers imported to carry produce out to the inhospitable desert townships.

This intermingling of traditions and ideologies and its impact on settlers and native people alike forms the intriguing setting of a brave new film, Serenades, written and directed by Mojgan Khadem, an Iranian-born Bahá’í from Adelaide.

In 1978, she escaped her homeland with her mother. Training followed at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. From her own experience of religious intolerance,  Khadem long nurtured the desire to explore the issue in a feature film.

In this, her first motion picture, she tells the story of a girl of mixed Aboriginal and Afghan parentage, raised on a mission, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery by testing the three cultures which have shaped her upbringing.

Promised in an arranged marriage to an elderly cleric, she finds herself torn between the traditions of her Muslim father, her Aboriginal mother and her childhood sweetheart, a German Lutheran.

While the characterisation is occasionally let down by a lack of individuality, bordering  on cultural stereotyping, the traditions depicted provide a rich source of imagery. The cinematography by acclaimed Australian cameraman Russell Boyd is the film’s strongest point. At times, the actors struggle to compete with the real stars of the film - the visually enthralling rituals, the vast landscape and a haunting soundtrack.

Serenades is an impressive first feature from a promising director. It brings a little known aspect of history to light and explores issues which are highly topical today as more and more diverse cultures and religious traditions find themselves sharing the same environments and having to work with the consequences of the encounter.

The UK premiere of Serenades will take place at the Bahá’í Academy for the Arts, Sidcot, Somerset, 27 July -3 August. For further information, email Margaret Appa, at margaretappa@hotmail.com

RW