First Nations (6/14)

Films about the First Nations peoples of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, including many films by First Nations filmmakers. Stories range across issues relating to identity and the diversity of histories and cultures both before and after the arrival of Captain Cook, including the "Stolen Generations," art, anthropology, archaeology and politics,

INTERVENTION: Stories from the Inside

2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 46 min

An incisive inside look at the historic Intervention by the Federal Government in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, made with the participation of Alice Springs town-campers. more

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ISLAND OF LIES

1991 (G) 56 min

When Eliza Fraser was shipwrecked on Fraser Island in 1836, there were up to 3000 Aboriginal people living there — by 1905, there were perhaps a dozen left. Filmmaker Gillian Coote follows the route of early settlers north out of Sydney to Fraser Island to uncover the lies and secrets of Australia's settlement. more

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IT'S A LONG ROAD BACK [from the AIATSIS Collection]

1981 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 13 min

The story of one woman's struggle to regain her Aboriginality more

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JABIRU 0886: TRESPASS [from the CAAMA Collection]

2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 26 min

The story of Yvonne Margarula and the resistance of the Mirarr people to the loss of their land and their heritage because of mining operations in the Kakadu area. more

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JAPARTA - a Journey to the Gurindji Way

2025 (G) 99 min

The story of a Japanese scholar, Minoru Hokari, who, before his death in 2004 at the age of 32, achieved work which today commands an ever-widening audience. It is a story of cross-cultural understanding, how Gurindji Elders in the Northern Territory tasked Minoru to relay stories from their culture to a wider world. A... more

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JARLMADANGAH: Our Dream Our Reality [from the CAAMA Collection]

2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 25 min

Welcome to Jarlmadangah – where we go well off the beaten track! Situated in the West Kimberleys, Jarlmadangah is a remote community often hailed as 'a model' for its many social and cultural achievements. more

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JOURNEY WEST (BUWARRALA ARYAH)

2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min

In the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia, Aboriginal Elders lead their community on a traditional walk across Country to re-connect children and youth to their culture. more

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JUPURRURLA - MAN OF MEDIA (from the CAAMA Collection)

2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min

A portrait of Warlpiri Elder and Lawman, Francis Jupurrurla Kelly – a pioneer of Indigenous filmmaking in central Australia. more

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KABBARLI

2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 50 min

KABBARLI explores the extraordinary life of Daisy Bates and her passionate involvement with Australian Aborigines. The film interweaves fiction and biography, history and memory to explore Daisy Bates' life - a dramatic map of the colonial imagination, and a portrait of a remarkable and wily old woman. more

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KARLU KARLU: Devil's Marbles [from the CAAMA Collection]

2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 21 min

Stories of Karlu Karlu and its handback by the government to the traditional owners. more

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KEEPER

2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min

Growing up in a small town divided by mining disputes isn't easy, but for Aboriginal teenager Jacinta Haseldine it's a stark contrast to her grandmother's life at the same age growing up on a mission. more

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KEEPERS OF THE STORY - Jandamarra [from the CAAMA Collection]

2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 24 min

The story of the Bunuba people's efforts to keep alive the story of Jandamarra and his war against white settlers in the 1880s in the Kimberleys, as a source of inspiration for Aboriginal people and all Australians. more

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KIMBERLEY MOB, THE

1991 (PG) 54 min

Three Aboriginal brothers run a cattle station in the Kimberley. They face drought, divided tribal loyalties, government bureaucracy, diamond-mining companies and fundamentalist Christianity while trying to keep traditional Aboriginal beliefs and customs alive for their children and future generations. more

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KINDRED

2023 (M) 91 min

A journey into the emotional landscape of family, love and loss experienced by two close friends, both Aboriginal, who were adopted by white families and have connected back with their bloodline families. more

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KINGS OF BAXTER

2017 (M) 66 min

A rare insight into life behind bars for juvenile inmates in one of the country's largest juvenile justice centres: two actors from the Bell Shakespeare company engage with young offenders in an attempt to stage a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth for their families and fellow inmates. more

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KULKA: The Life and Times of Gordon Briscoe

2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min

The inspirational story of Dr. Gordon Briscoe's life - from his work with legendary eye doctor Fred Hollows, to his days as an activist travelling Australia and telling traditional land owners about their land rights, and everything in between. more

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LAKE OF SCARS, THE

2022 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 95 min

A documentary exploring the beautiful, mysterious scarred trees, middens and stone scatters at Lake Boort and surrounds in Victoria, and the story of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, who are working against the clock to preserve and promote what they can. A film presented by the late, great Uncle Jack Charles, more

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LALAI DREAMTIME

1972 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 60 min

LALAI DREAMTIME takes the viewer into pre-colonial Australia to tell a story depicting the spiritual tradition of the people. A film by Michael Edols, from the story told by Sam Woolagoodja. more

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LAND BILONG ISLANDERS

1990 (G) 52 min

LAND BILONG ISLANDERS tells the story of what has become known as the 'Mabo Case'. It contains rare interviews with the late Eddie Mabo, James Rice, Father Dave Passi and others involved in this historic legal drama. Together they challenged the idea that prior to European settlement, Australia was a land belonging to no-one,... more

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LAND OF THE LITTLE KINGS

2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 78 min

LAND OF THE LITTLE KINGS is a feature-length documentary which provides personal accounts of the forcible removal of Indigenous children from their families. Through these stories of survivors of the stolen generations, musician and performer Archie Roach reconstructs his own story. more

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