Director
A Tahiti is a rugged, forest-clad South Pacific island, surrounded by coral reefs. Its traditional Polynesian way of life has been swamped over the years by foreign influences, particularly that of France. However, the long-awaited re-emergence of traditional culture is the focus of this documentary. We look at some of the people responsible for the cultural revival and their arts including the building of a double hulled canoe, the art of full body tattooing and the fierce dance competitions at the high point of celebration of Polynesian culture, the Tiurai Festival.
Director
New Caledonia is a country divided. The largest community is Melanesians, self-styled “Kanaks” who make up 43 per cent of the population. They want independence from France. On the other side are the French and locally born Caledonians, supported by immigrant Polynesians, who want to retain links with France. This film outlines the political conflict that has led to tension and violence over the years. It takes a look at two politicians representing each side and reveals something of the Kanaks, with their tribal social structure, and the Caledonian French, who are more concerned with economic progress.
Director
The Republic of Kiribati is one of the most isolated places in the Pacific and because of this it has been possible for its people to retain much of their traditional way of life. In this film, made on Tabiteuea Island four years after independence, we witness a special three-day ritual dating from pre-colonial times, in which Manerrua – a schoolgirl of 14 – celebrates her first menstruation
Director
On Sacred Ground looks at the story behind the Noonkanbah dispute, the well-publicised Aboriginal struggle to stop mining in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in the late 1970s. Presented by a young spokesman for the Kimberley Land Council, the film gives an Indigenous view of the area's history from the early days of European colonisation. It explores the problems of Aboriginal dispossession and loss of identity and the efforts that have been made towards self-determination, economic self-sufficiency and maintaining language and culture. It helps explain Aboriginal ties to the land, the importance of sacred sites and the reasons for the land rights struggle.
In 1917 rural New South Wales, a young boy with polio struggles to break free of his overprotective mother.
Director
A Pidgin language drama based upon the emergence of Papua New Guinea as an independent nation. A young coastal man, Tonten, is searching for his missing brother. During his travels Tonten meets and marries a Chimbu girl in the highlands, and then he makes his way over the mountains to Port Moresby, the capital of PNG. After finding his brother, Tonten and his wife return to a peaceful life in his village. Wokabaut Bilong Tonten was the first feature film shot in Papua New Guinea with an all-Indigenous cast.
Writer
An anthology of Australian short films by directors Brian Hannant ("Judy"), Oliver Howes ("Toula") and Peter Weir ("Michael"), each presenting a young Australian at a moment of decision about their future.
Director
An anthology of Australian short films by directors Brian Hannant ("Judy"), Oliver Howes ("Toula") and Peter Weir ("Michael"), each presenting a young Australian at a moment of decision about their future.
