Protecting Country
An Emancipatory Journey
In July 2017, with the guidance of Bruce Hammond in conjunction with Dr. Magali McDuffie from Ngikalikarra Media, I assisted in bringing the ‘Protecting Country’ documentary film on a screening road trip across Australia.
The road trip took 14 days to complete and we traveled over 7741 kilometers through some of the most remote regions of Australia.
Alexander Hayes & Sharpie Coulthard previewing the 'Protecting County' film on Alexander’s phone on the 23rd July, 2017 at Iga Warta Community, South Australia.
Alexander Hayes was accompanied by photographer Liam Wille on this road trip who was responsible for documenting community consultation and also providing additional cut away footage photographs for the final cut of the film.
Final project journey detailing route from Canberra, ACT to Broome, Western Australia - total kilometres travelled were 7,741 kilometres
Screenings
The following locations detail where screenings of the first, second and third rough cuts of the film occurred and where we received feedback from communities to finalise the final cut of the film.
6 July 2017 - Wille Household, ACT Canberra Australia
11 July 2017 - McDuffie Household, ACT Canberra, Australia
12 July 2017 - National Parks Head Office, Weston, Canberra ACT
12 July 2017 - Ellie Gilbert residence, Kingsley ACT
16 July 2017 - ANU Food Co-op & Cafe - 3 Kingsley St, Canberra ACT 2601 - 6:30 PM
17th July 2017 - Condobolin, Wiradjuri Studies Centre, Condobolin NSW - 1:00 PM
18th July - Winch Family residence, Balranald - 5:30PM
19th July 2017 - Mildura Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Mildurah - 1:00PM
20th July 2017 - Adelaide - 'The Joinery', 111 Franklin St, Adelaide SA 5000 7:30 PM
21st July 2017 - Port Augusta, South Australia
22nd July 2017 - Hawker, South Australia
23rd July 2017 - Iga Warta Community, South Australia
23rd July 2017 - Nepabunna Community, South Australia
24th July 2017 - Bungala Aboriginal Corporation, Port Augusta, South Australia
24th July 2017 - Umeewarra Aboriginal Media Association, Port Augusta, South Australia
18th August 2017 - Coconut Wells Community, Broome, Western Australia
Screening at Coconut Wells community on the 18th August 2017
What Is The Film About
The film features many well known Aboriginal Elders and leaders from the Andymanthana, Barngarla, Tanganekald, Anangu, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara communities of South Australia who provide their account of how important it is for all Australian’s to protect country from past, present and planned uranium mining and nuclear dump activities. Contributors featuring in this film include Karina Lester, Bruce Hammond, Regina McKenzie, Tauto Sansbury, Vince Coulthard, Sharpie Coulthard, Ty Butler, James Butler, Clarrie Coulthard, Stephen Atkinson and Steven Harrison.
Clifford Coulthard & Alexander Hayes discussing the final edits for the 'Protecting Country' film at the Iga Warta Community - 24th July 2017
Feedback
Further feedback from Clifford Coulthard was received when we arrived in Iga Warta Community in South Australia which was incorporated into the third and final cut of the film as well as photographs taken by Liam Wille, Photographer during that journey.
The road trip commenced on the 17th July 2017 departing from Canberra, Australia travelling through and featuring private and public screenings in the cities and towns of Canberra, Condobolin, Hay, Balranald, Mildura, Adelaide, Hawker, Nepabunna and Iga Warta.
We had intended on then travelling through Maree, William Creek, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, Marla, Alice Springs, Yuendumu, Tanami, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby and through to Broome, Western Australia.
Sorry Business
Whilst we were in Iga Warta we heard news that Yami Lester, late Father of Karina Lester who features in the film had sadly passed away.
Yami Lester
Yami Lester is and always will be a key figure, a leader and respected anti-nuclear campaigner, a Yankunytjatjara man, an Indigenous person of northern South Australia. Lester, who survived nuclear testing in outback Australia, best known as an anti-nuclear and indigenous rights advocate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yami_Lester
To honour cultural sorry business and to respect the rights of Yami's Family and Relatives we did not screen the first cut of the Protecting Country film as we travell edup from Port Augusta and onto Coober Pedy, Alice Springs, Katherine, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Derby and Broome - read more about this here > http://www.ngikalikarra.org/news/2017/7/24/james-yami-lester
Public and private screenings of the film were resumed with cultural consultation as of the 17th August 2017 with a screening of the second cut of the film at the Djugun Community of Coconut Wells, Broome, Western Australia.
Why Make This Film
The mining of uranium and the nuclear debate in Australia continues to divide communities and devastate the Australian environment. Nuclear tests in the 1950s and the 1960s have catastrophically affected Aboriginal nations and communities across South Australia. This film brings those voices forward that popular news and media negate as well as provides anyone who interacts with this journey an opportunity to provide feedback to the Ngikalikarra Media team.
Sponsorship
A call for sponsorship across social media platforms and direct marketing was made in mid-June 2017 and throughout the screenings road trip.
Sponsorship funding was used towards the costs of fuel for transport, accommodation, meals, and any additional hiring of equipment. We are immensely grateful to the following contributors for making this return of film back on Country possible.
Isabelle Boreham
Dilys Norrish
James Osinga
Nola Crocket & the Stokers Siding Community, NSW
Glenelg Art Gallery, Glenelg, South Australia
Wiradjuri Language Centre, Condobolin, NSW, Australia
Stephan Ridgway
Julie Collereda
Deb Melaleuca
Christopher Simpson
Ingvar & Chrystle Wille
Sunshine Connelly
Steven Atkinson
Will Kirtland
The project team raised $1350 in sum total in cash and were afforded free accommodation, meals, and other hospitality on the trip from Canberra as far as Coober Pedy, South Australia. The remainder of the trip from Coober Pedy through to Broome, Western Australia was completed using our own funding.
