We invite you to watch these incredible feature films to celebrate NAIDOC 2023.
ELLA
With intimate interviews, dance sequences, and archival material, this documentary follows Ella as she explores her identity and offers a glimpse into her life as an elite ballet dancer in the largest company in the southern hemisphere.
Runtime: 82mins
Rated: G
THE SALTWATER STORY
Guided by Indigenous canoemaker Kyle Slabb from the Bundjalung people, a group of young men (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) build traditional canoes and embark on a 3-day sea voyage re-tracing an ancient trade route from the heart of the Queensland Gold Coast to North Stradbroke Island, a journey not made for over 100 years.
Runtime: 55mins
Rated: Exempt (Recommended 'PG')
JOURNEY WEST (Buwarrala Aryah)
Aboriginal Elders lead their community on a traditional walk across country to reconnect the children and youth to their culture. Growing concern among young Aboriginal community leaders drew them to the idea of re-enacting a walk that hadn't occurred for almost 30 years.
Runtime: 52mins
Rated: Exempt (Recommended 'G')
HOMELAND STORY
The film explores the impact of one notorious bone theft by a member of the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. Hundred of bones were stolen and deposited in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, until it became known to Arnhem elders in the late 1990s. The return of the sacred artefacts was called for, resulting in a tense standoff between indigenous tribespeople and the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian.
Runtime: 73mins
Rated: Exempt (Recommended 'PG')
ANGELS GATHER HERE
The inspirational story of one Aboriginal woman's battle with grief, loss and addiction to become a university-educated leader in her community. The film offers a unique insight into the effects of intergenerational trauma and how the ripple effect of past government policy continues to impact on First Nations Peoples.
Runtime: 49mins
Rated: Exempt (Recommended 'PG')