In a remote corner of the wild country, a bloody war rages. Travis is a bounty hunter with one last hope of redemption. Gutjuk is a young Indigenous man trying to save the last of his family. Together they embark on a manhunt, which unravels a secret that ultimately pits them against each other.
Cinematography
Arnhem Land shot with reverence—every frame demands a pause.
Acting
Jacob Junior Nayinggul's debut carries the film's entire moral weight.
Practical Effects
No CGI outback here—real location shooting in sacred country.
Director
Stephen Johnson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Witiyana Marika, who plays Grandfather Dharrpa, is a Yolŋu elder who ensured cultural protocols were followed during filming on his ancestral land. The massacre depicted is based on actual 1910s events in Arnhem Land that remain excluded from most Australian curricula.
Director Stephen Johnson spent a decade developing this after being haunted by Australia's history curriculum silence. The 'high ground' of the title refers both to tactical positioning and the impossible moral elevation Travis seeks.
AU
