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,

TAKEOVER [from the AIATSIS Collection]

1979 (PG) 87 min

The story of an Aboriginal community under threat from a distant bureaucracy. A film by David and Judith MacDougall. DIGITALLY RE-MASTERED FROM ORIGINAL FILM MATERIALS! more

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TALES FROM THE DALY - Nauiyu Nambiyu [from the CAAMA Collection]

2010 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 20 min

A journey into the stories and spectacular landscapes of the Daly River region in the north-west of the Northern Territory. more

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TALKING BROKEN

1991 (G) 76 min

'Broken' is the creole spoken by the Torres Strait Islanders in far north Australia. Although they appear to keep up with 'the system', the hidden language of the authorities will always remain a mystery. With humour and intelligence, various Islanders talk openly about subjects as wide-ranging as independence, culture,... more

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TALKING LANGUAGE with Ernie Dingo [from the CAAMA Collection]

2014 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 132 min

There are around 250 languages with 600 dialects spoken on this land. Today it is estimated around 30 of those languages are still strong and spoken daily, while over a hundred are critically endangered. more

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TEACH A MAN TO FISH

2018 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: PG) 80 min

Grant Leigh Saunders is an Aboriginal filmmaker, writer and musician who has secretly always wanted to be a fisherman, just like his father and grandfather before him. This fishing yarn is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Manning River in central New South Wales. more

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TERRA NULLIUS

1992/2021 (G) 21 min

RE-RELEASE OF AN ACCLAIMED FILM FROM 1992, RE-MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL FILM NEGATIVES. "In evoking what an Aboriginal child goes through when disconnected from family and taken into foster-care, this film is ahead of its time in its treatment." - Margo Neale, Senior Indigenous Curator and historian. more

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THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

2003 (Classification Exempt - Ronin Recommends: G) 26 min

A film about the remarkable relationship between Indigenous cultures, the dolphin and the marine environment. We learn of remarkable signs observed between land and ocean to indicate when fish are travelling and in what numbers, and gain a clear insight into the 'yuri' or totem system and its place in contemporary culture. more

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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TOOMELAH

2011 (MA) 97 min

In a remote Aboriginal community, Daniel, a sensitive, troubled 10 year old boy from a broken home, yearns to be a "gangster" like the male role models in his life. A film by Ivan Sen, director of WIND, YELLOW FELLA, MYSTERY ROAD and LIMBO. more

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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

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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

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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

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TUPAIA'S ENDEAVOUR

2020 (M) 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

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