Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Titles tagged with ‘Indigenous law’

18 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year

1950s

Jedda feature film – 1955

Jedda (1955) is probably Charles Chauvel’s best film, as well as his last. It is historic both for being the first colour feature film made in Australia, but more importantly, because it is arguably the first Australian film to take the emotional lives of Aboriginal people seriously.

1960s

Journey Out of Darkness feature film – 1967

In 1901 Constable Peterson arrives in Central Australia to arrest an Arrernte man who has committed a ritual killing.

1970s

The Last Wave feature film – 1977

As the weather gets worse, tax lawyer David Burton has a premonition of disaster, in which he is to play a key role.

1980s

Two Laws documentary – 1981

The concept of two laws – colonial and Indigenous law – can also be spoken about as two ways of storytelling or filmmaking.

Land Bilong Islanders documentary – 1989

A significant historic record of proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court regarding the Murray Islanders’ native title claim over their traditional lands.

1990s

Beating About the Bush documentary – 1993

The filmmakers set out to record a music documentary with a happy ending but end up with coverage of a goodwill disaster.

From Sand to Celluloid – Payback short film – 1996

Payback, a black-and-white short about the Western and Indigenous legal systems, is one of Warwick Thornton’s earliest dramatic works.

After Mabo documentary – 1997

The most respected Indigenous commentators on native title are featured here, thus adding to the documentary’s historical importance.

The Last of the Nomads documentary – 1997

A feature-length documentary about an expedition to find the last suriving nomadic couple, who broke tribal marriage laws and fled into the Gibson desert.

2000s

The Tracker feature film – 2002

A series of paintings by South Australian artist Peter Coad are used throughout The Tracker in place of visual depictions of violence.

Four Corners – Inside the Circle television program – 2005

Inside the circle’, a new way to deal with offenders who come up before the legal system. Robert is face-to-face with his victim and four Aboriginal Elders.

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 – 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 – 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.

The Balanda and the Bark Canoes documentary – 2006

There are many humorous moments when director Rolf de Heer’s directions to the actors get lost in translation.

Ten Canoes feature film – 2006

The jumping-off point for Ten Canoes was a 1930s photo of Indigenous people taken by anthropologist Donald Thomson.

First Australians – Episode 5, Unhealthy Government Experiment documentary – 2008

This episode explores the lives of Jandamarra, an Aboriginal stockman, and Gladys Gillian, an institutionalised half-caste.

Samson and Delilah feature film – 2009

A heartbreaking and thought-provoking film about two Indigenous teenagers growing up in central Australia.