A church, a government, and a bauxite mine walk into a reserve—nobody's laughing.
About Aborigines and Australian politics. On 13 March 1978 the Queensland Government announced its intention to take over management of the Aurukun Aboriginal Reserve from the Uniting Church. The people of Aurukun complained bitterly, believing that the Church was more sympathetic to their aims and fearing that the State was merely seeking easier access to the rich bauxite deposits on their Reserve. When the Federal Government took the side of the Aborigines the stage was set for national confrontation. Shows the situation at Aurukun during those crucial three weeks.
Direction
MacDougalls' observational style lets tension breathe.
Production
Rare 1978 on-the-ground access to unfolding political crisis.
Director
Judith MacDougall
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Aurukun became a flashpoint for Aboriginal land rights, influencing the 1981 Seaman Inquiry and subsequent land claim negotiations.
The MacDougalls pioneered 'observational cinema' in Australia; their refusal to use voiceover narration lets Aurukun residents speak for themselves—a radical choice in 1980 ethnographic film.
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