Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Titles tagged with ‘Aboriginal children’

24 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year

1940s

Bush Christmas feature film – 1947

In a rare villainous role, Chips Rafferty plays a horse thief, Long Bill. He is tracked by five kids spending Christmas in the Blue Mountains.

Aborigines of the Sea Coast documentary – 1948

A valuable ethnographic record of a 1948 expedition to Arnhem Land.

1970s

Chequerboard – My Brown Skin Baby, They Take ‘im Away television program – 1970

This powerful film documents the impact of the government’s policy of removing light-skinned children from their Aboriginal mothers to be raised in Christian missions.

1980s

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.

1990s

Marn Grook documentary – 1996

'Marn Grook’ is the Indigenous name of a game very similar to AFL. This revealing documentary contends that AFL is in fact derived from Marn Grook.

Vanish documentary – 1998

Ivan Sen’s Vanish explores the history of the Gamilaroi people being moved onto Toomelah Reserve.

2000s

My Mother My Son short film – 2000

The pain experienced by three generations of a family as the cycle of separation of mother from child repeats itself.

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 – 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.

Rabbit-Proof Fence feature film – 2002

For many white Australians, this popular film was the first direct emotional experience of what it meant to be one of the 'stolen generations’.

The Dream and the Dreaming documentary – 2003

When Lutheran missionaries arrived in Central Australia, the strength of the existing culture made it challenging to make converts.

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 – 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.

Time Bomb documentary – 2003

A time bomb’ is how Frank Djara, a diabetic and the first male health worker in Areyonga, refers to living with diabetes.

Deadly Yarns – Don’t Say Sorry short film – 2004

In this short documentary Christine Jacobs describes how she overcame the pain of being a child of the stolen generations.

Deadly Yarns – Ganggu Mama short film – 2004

In this short film, Ganggu Mama guides his nephew towards his culture and out of trouble.

Deadly Yarns – Sugar Bag short film – 2004

A story of love and endurance about an Aboriginal child fathered by a white man and hunted down by police troopers.

Sammy Butcher, Out of the Shadows documentary – 2004

Musician Sammy Butcher played with the Warumpi Band and now invests his energy in young musicians in his community of Papunya.

Deadly Yarns 2 – Adrift short film – 2006

In this short film a boy responds to the healing power of the natural environment, Aboriginal cultural practices and family.

Deadly Yarns 2 – Frankie’s Story short film – 2006

A young boy excluded from a school trip to the fire station brings the fire trucks to him.

Bit of Black Business – Nana short film – 2007

This short film from Warwick Thornton is a humorous portrait of an all-rounder told from the perspective of her adoring granddaughter.

One Shoe Short short film – 2007

On a town camp in Alice Springs, a boy searches for a pair of shoes so he can go to school. His friend tries his best to help him out.

Australia feature film – 2008

Three outsiders – an aristocrat, a stockman and a vulnerable child – are set against the malevolent forces of greedy neighbours, a world war and assimilationist policy.

2010s

Toomelah feature film – 2011

A hard-hitting film about the impact of poverty, drugs and alcohol on the life of a young boy living in an Aboriginal community.