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First Nations (12/14)
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,
THIS IS HOW YOU'LL MAKE YOUR BED IN PRISON
2009 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 10 min
The story of Vickie Lee Roach, an Aboriginal woman in an Australian prison who challenged the Federal government to gain the right to vote ... and won. more
THREE BOYS DREAMING
2011 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 85 min
A universal story about young dreams and ambitions as three Indigenous boys chase the dream of becoming football stars. more
![THREE HORSEMEN [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/7834.jpg)
THREE HORSEMEN [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1982 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 51 min
Three generations of Aboriginal stockmen on a cattle station in far north Queensland. more
![TIME BOMB [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/2514.jpg)
TIME BOMB [from the CAAMA Collection]
2005 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 25 min
TIME BOMB is a film about diabetes and its impact on one man's life. Frank Djara is a Pitjantjatjara man who developed diabetes after an active life dedicated to the health of his community. more
![TNORALA - BABY FALLING [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/2307.jpg)
TNORALA - BABY FALLING [from the CAAMA Collection]
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 22 min
Tnorala, in Central Australia, is a breathtaking land formation that rises above the windswept plains fringing the edge of the Western MacDonnell Ranges. It is a place of unique and sacred importance to the Western Arrente people, who actively protect its beauty and integrity. more
![TO GET THAT COUNTRY [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/7349.jpg)
TO GET THAT COUNTRY [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1977 (G) 66 min
A record of an historic event: the inaugural meeting of the Northern Land Council, representing traditional owners of the northern part of the Northern Territory. more
TOMBSTONE OPENING, THE
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 29 min
Releasing the spirit of Ephraim Bani, a great cultural custodian, in Torres Strait's unique ritual. more
TOO MANY CAPTAIN COOKS
1988 (G) 18 min
In this film, Paddy Wainburranga of the Rembarrnga tribe from the centre of Arnhem Land in Northern Australia relates and paints the Rembarrnga history of Captain Cook. more
TOTEM & ORE
2019 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 98 min
In Australia, British atomic bomb testing ran from 1953 to 1963 at Emu Field and Maralinga in South Australia. Indigenous communities had to live with the impact of these tests – testing that infected many with radioactive fallout. more
![TRANSFER OF POWER, A [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/7243.jpg)
TRANSFER OF POWER, A [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1986 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 21 min
Replacing the engine in an old car: the work of "bush mechanics" on a cattle station in northern New South Wales. more
TROBRIAND CRICKET
1979 (G) 52 min
"Trobriand cricket" refers to a unique version of the ball-and-bat sport cricket played by the Trobriand Islanders. They were first exposed to the game by Christian missionaries, who thought the game would discourage war among the natives. However, the game was quickly adapted to Trobriand culture by expanding the number... more
TUPAIA'S ENDEAVOUR
2020 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 119 min
A first contact story, told from a Pacific point of view. Tupaia was a Polynesian high-priest, star-navigator, and artist who joined Cook's Endeavour expedition in Tahiti in 1769 as a navigator, and had a profound impact on Cook's journey and survival. This film cements Tupaia's role as a central figure in Pacific history. more
TWELVE CANOES
2008 (PG) 66 min
In the wake of the international success of TEN CANOES, Rolf de Heer has collaborated again with the Ramingining community of north Arnhem Land in making this series of twelve short documentaries that together paint a visual and audio portrait of the people, history, culture and place of the Yolngu people. more
UNDERCURRENTS: meditations on power
2023 (M) 19 min
A poetic essay documentary by Margot Nash, about the undercurrents of history playing out in the present: a 'song' for the dark times about repression and resistance. more
UP IN THE SKY
1999 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
A funny, honest and revealing look into the life and work of photographic artist and filmmaker Tracey Moffatt, whose work's were exhibited at the prestigious gallery Dia Centre for the Arts in New York City. more
URBAN CLAN
1997 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 55 min
A documentary portrait of three brothers: choreographer Stephen Page, composer David Page, and performer Russell Page, who together form the creative core of the Bangarra Dance Theatre, one of Australia's most exciting and internationally acclaimed contemporary dance companies. more
VACANT POSSESSION
1994 (M) 95 min
NOW RE-MASTERED FROM ORIGINAL FILM MATERIALS! A welcome re-release of the acclaimed dramatic feature film from 1994, written and directed by Margot Nash (director of The Silences, also available from Ronin). Following her mother's death, a young woman returns to the old family home, a dilapidated cottage in a coastal... more
Vis a vis TECHNO TRIBAL
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
A fascinating and emotional 4-day encounter. Ningali Lawford from the Kimberley in north-western Australia and James Luna from California meet through a satellite video link and embark on a journey into each other's world. The agenda for what would happen was entirely unknown. more
VOTE YES FOR ABORIGINES - The Story of the 1967 Referendum
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
A documentary about the 1967 Referendum and the fight for citizenship rights for Aborigines. It marks the 40th anniversary of the occasion, celebrating its historical significance and contemporary relevance. more
![WAITING FOR HARRY [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/10159.jpg)
WAITING FOR HARRY [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1980 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 56 min
Tensions behind the scenes of a ritual event in central Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. more
![WALBIRI FIRE CEREMONY, A - Ngatjakula [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/10113.jpg)
WALBIRI FIRE CEREMONY, A - Ngatjakula [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1977 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 19 min
Ngatjakula is one of the most spectacular ceremonies of central Australia, employing fire, and several days of singing and dance, to resolve conflicts and re-affirm social order among the Warlpiri (Walbiri) people. more
![WALKING DANCING BELONGING [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/3326.jpg)
WALKING DANCING BELONGING [from the CAAMA Collection]
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 22 min
Three women from the Kununurra area of Western Australia share their art and their experience of being "in country". more
WANJA
2008 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 25 min
Wanja is a documentary about 'the Block', through the eyes of Auntie Barb and the life of Wanja her blue heeler dog, recently deceased. The community on the Block's many and varied stories of Wanja reflect on the issues affecting this indigenous community in the heart of Sydney. more
![WARREN WILLIAMS - The Stories, The Songs [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/6584.jpg)
WARREN WILLIAMS - The Stories, The Songs [from the CAAMA Collection]
2000 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 24 min
A journey into the world of Warren H. Williams – his music and his Arrernte culture. more
WAYS OF THINKING
1990 (G) 29 min
A young Warlpiri Aboriginal man wants to leave his traditional community to seek work in a town. His wife is against this move; she wants to remain in the community, to be part of the traditional life of her tribe and to bring up their children in their ancient culture. She fears that the children will lose their language,... more
WE DON'T NEED A MAP
2017 (M) 85 min
A bold and provocative essay film by Warwick Thornton about the deeply spiritual meaning of the Southern Cross constellation for Aboriginal people. The film challenges us to consider the place of the Southern Cross in the psyche of all Australians. WINNER! Digital History Prize, NSW Premier's History Awards, 2018. more
WE OF LITTLE VOICE (NIDF series 5)
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
WE OF LITTLE VOICE reveals the effects of uranium mining and nuclear testing on Indigenous communities in South Australia. more
![WESTERN DESERT WOOMERA: Fashioned With Stone Tools [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/10738.jpg)
WESTERN DESERT WOOMERA: Fashioned With Stone Tools [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1981 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 11 min
A documentary about the making of a spear-thrower by two Pintupi men of the Lake McDonald area in the central west of the Northern Territory. The film demonstrates their use of stone tools. more
WHEN THE NATIVES GET RESTLESS
2007 (M) 28 min
A film about racism and inequality in a small country town. It is about life, family and the disadvantage of not having opportunities because of the colour of your skin. more
WHEN THE SNAKE BITES THE SUN
1985 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 57 min
A film by Michael Edols. Available on DVD and Vimeo-on-Demand as part of the ASPECTS OF A LIFE collection. more
WHERE THE WATER STARTS
2021 (PG) 71 min
After seeing the destruction of the fragile alpine ecology of Australia's Snowy Mountains first-hand, Richard Swain decides to speak out. A powerful new film by Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini. more
WHISPERING IN OUR HEARTS
2002 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 52 min
The story of the 1916 massacre of Aboriginal people at Mowla Bluff, Western Australia, told in interviews with surviving Nyikina, Mangala and Karajarri peoples, as well as through dramatised re-enactments of the testimonials of Aboriginal witnesses. more
WHITEYS LIKE US
1999 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 52 min
A group of 15 white strangers come together to participate in an eight-week Aboriginal reconciliation circle. The film follows the impact the process has on the participants' lives as they grapple with these difficult and complex issues. more
![WHO WE ARE - Brave New Clan [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/11889.jpg)
WHO WE ARE - Brave New Clan [from the CAAMA Collection]
2015 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 47 min
Six young Australians share what Indigenous culture means to them today in contemporary urban Australia. From the bustling streets of Sydney to the aquamarine vistas of the Torres Strait, their stories span a diverse population across the country and yet share common themes of resilience, courage, optimism and success. more
WHO WE ARE IN SPORT
2012 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 49 min
Six Indigenous sports stars talk about their experiences, achievements and challenges on the track, in the ring - and in life. Presented by Aaron Pedersen with Nova Peris, Mark Ella, Kyah Simon, Phil Krakouer, Des Abbott and Anthony Mundine. more
![WILLABERTA JACK [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/3327.jpg)
WILLABERTA JACK [from the CAAMA Collection]
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min
He survived an attempted killing. He survived an unjust legal system. But can he survive white "payback"? A true story from the Northern Territory, 1929, which inspired the feature film, SWEET COUNTRY. more
![WIRRIYA: Small Boy [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/2512.jpg)
WIRRIYA: Small Boy [from the CAAMA Collection]
2001 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 27 min
This moving documentary is a record of a few hours in the life of a small 7 year old boy, Ricco, from Hidden Valley, one of the many town camps on the outskirts of Alice Springs. more
WOMEN OF THE SUN
1981 (PG) 240 min
Comprising of four stand-alone one-hour episodes, this ground-breaking series from 1982 depicts events in the lives of four Aboriginal women over more than 150 years. more
WOMEN OF THE SUN ... 25 YEARS LATER
2006 (PG) 80 min
A powerful documentary about the lives of the women who played leading roles in the ground-breaking drama series, WOMEN OF THE SUN. more
WRAP ME UP IN PAPERBARK
2007 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 28 min
This provocative documentary portrays the struggle faced by two indigenous Australians, Speedy McGinness, and his sister, Kathy Mills, to return their mother's remains from Darwin to her homelands, 600 kilometres south. more
![YELLOW FELLA [from the CAAMA Collection]](/images/small/2299.jpg)
YELLOW FELLA [from the CAAMA Collection]
2004 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 25 min
A portrait of the late Balang Tom E. Lewis who as a young man in 1978 was chosen by director Fred Schepisi to star in THE CHANT OF JIMMY BLACKSMITH. The life of the character he played was hauntingly close to his own – a restless young man of mixed heritage, struggling between two cultures to find his own identity. more
YOLNGU HOMELAND
2015 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 58 min
Garrthalala in Arnhem Land: the story of the community's connectedness with other beings - ancestors, animals and plants. Totemic beings of significance include the saltwater crocodile, crows, dogs and dingoes, crabs, sea eagles, turtles, and yams. A film by Natasha Fijn. more
![YORKY BILLY [from the AIATSIS Collection]](/images/small/10158.jpg)
YORKY BILLY [from the AIATSIS Collection]
1980 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 17 min
A portrait of a disappearing way of life in the Northern Territory outback. more