Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

All titles produced by ABC TV Indigenous Programs Unit

17 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year

B

Blackout – Malangi: A Day in the Life of a Bark Painter television program – 1991

A portrait of the internationally acclaimed Arnhem Land artist David Malangi, highly regarded in both Yolngu and western cultural traditions.

M

Message Stick – Arafura Pearl television program – 2003

This is a snapshot of the Mills family, a respected family in the Darwin area. Kathleen is an Indigenous Elder, mother of eight, musician and singer.

Message Stick – Babinda Boulders television program – 2005

The story of the Devils Pool, recounted by Yidinji elder Annie Wonga, is an ancient love story. Young men fall victim to a waterhole where the spirit of a woman dwells.

Message Stick – Bill’s Wake television program – 2001

Bill Neidjie, a traditional owner of Kakadu, had a wake while he was alive, rather than waiting until his death, to hear what people wanted to say about him.

Message Stick – Black Olive television program – 2005

As a chef, Mark Olive has developed dishes that use Indigenous knowledge of fauna and flora and food preparation that complements the Australian landscape.

Message Stick – Blacktracker television program – 1996

A tribute to Aboriginal tracker Alexander Riley, a sergeant in the NSW Police Force and a recipient of the King’s Medal in 1943.

Message Stick – Child Artists of Carrolup television program – 2003

This episode provides another perspective on the child removal policies and how the government of the day had specific designs on how half-caste children would occupy a place in society.

Message Stick – Koori Court television program – 2005

The Koori Court in Victoria was set up to reduce high imprisonment rates by combining Aboriginal beliefs with the white legal system.

Message Stick – Kurtal: Snake Spirit television program – 2002

A beautiful story about Kurtal, an ancestor and Dreaming song, and the Elder Spider, whose responsibility it is to perform the dance as well as pass it on.

Message Stick – Macumba: Outside Looking In television program – 2003

Macumba tells the story of Australia’s first Aboriginal radio station, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA).

Message Stick – Scotty Martin, Rodeo Boy, Don’t Say Sorry television program – 2005

A story about songman Scotty Martin, who inherited the role of composer of songs, a repository of knowledge passed from generation to generation.

Message Stick – Tent Boxers television program – 2001

A tribute to the Aboriginal men who travelled around Australia in the 1950s and ‘60s with tent-boxing troupes.

Message Stick – The Convincing Ground television program – 2007

The Kilcarer clan rally against a commercial development on a heritage-listed massacre site in Victoria known as the Convincing Ground.

Message Stick – The Long-grassers television program – 2005

An exposé on the homeless Aboriginal people of Darwin, known as 'long-grassers’. Deals with both the compassion and the bigotry they evoke by their mere presence.

Message Stick – Wathaurong Glass television program – 2003

Wathaurong Glass is an initiative that not only creates a new way of expressing Aboriginal art, but also provides a service to the community from which it comes.

Message Stick – Wayne’s World television program – 2005

Indigenous actor and filmmaker Wayne Blair offers insights into his craft and recounts experiences from his career.

O

One People Sing Freedom television program – 1988

One People Sing Freedom documents the largest gathering of Indigenous people since 1788, a protest march against the Bicentennial celebrations of 26 January 1988.