One Mind, One Heart

Academic and filmmaker (and colleague and friend) Larissa Behrendt talked about the importance to her of using archival material in her work, emphasizing the power of showing, rather than just telling, younger generations about past events. She acknowledged that reviewing some of the archive material in her new film was a little “triggering”, as it included memories of some difficult periods in Aboriginal history.

Larissa;s latest film, One Mind, One Heart, centers on the bark petitions, examples of which are displayed in the foyer of Parliament House in Canberra. These petitions, originating from Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory in the 1960s, addressed many issues, including land rights.

The film tells the story of one such petition that ended up in a house in Derby, Western Australia, separated from the others, and its eventual return to its community in the Northern Territory.

This journey raised interesting issues about the nature of repatriation: of returning artefacts and human remains to many communities from which they were taken. The interesting thing in this case is these petitions were intentionally created to leave the community and raise awareness. This distinction adds a layer of nuance to the discussion of repatriation.

The film’s producer, (my friend) Michaela Perske, was praised by Larissa for her problem-solving skills and ability to navigate the challenges of filmmaking, particularly when tackling difficult subjects. Larissa and Michaela have a strong friendship and working relationship having previously collaborated on the film After the Apology.

Despite confronting subject matter, including Aboriginal disadvantage, the abolition of ATSIC, and the Northern Territory Intervention, the film’s strength lies in its focus on the individuals involved. Viewers get to know key figures in the Indigenous rights movement, such as Aunty Pat Turner, Peter Yu and many others. The combination of contemporary interviews and archival footage creates a really powerful narrative of community strength and resilience. The response to today’s screening (and Q&A) session at Dendy Newtown was very positive.

One Mind, One Heart is currently available on SBS On Demand and NITV, and I’d highly recommend seeing it.