Australian
Screen

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Women of the Sun (1982)

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clip A mother’s worst nightmare

This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Police troopers bring Maydina (Mawuyul Yanthalawuy) and the children back to Mrs McPhee’s property. Mrs McPhee (Julia Blake) asks to keep the children on the property but the decision is made to remove them to institutional children’s homes. Maydina protests fiercely and incessantly, running screaming after her daughter as she is driven away from the property in a buggy.

Curator’s notes

by Liz McNiven

The forced assimilation of Aboriginal people into white society in Australia included the removal of their children to state-sanctioned institutions. This clip, set in 1895, highlights this horrendous act in a most profound and compelling way. Maydina, while running, unleashes a chilling, harrowing scream as her daughter is taken away by the government Protector of Aborigines. The reverberation of this sound, coupled with the desperate image of Maydina’s terror, stays with you long after the film ends.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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