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We Are Still Here (M)
Friday, 24 March, 2023 @ 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
In order to move forward, we must first look back
We Are Still Here is a unique Indigenous film that interweaves eight powerful tales to tell a sweeping story of hope and survival.
Through the eyes of eight protagonists, We Are Still Here traverses 1000 years from past, present, and future to explore stories of kinship, loss, grief, and resilience. But ultimately, it shows the strength of love and hope to overcome shared traumas that Indigenous people from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific have continued to face.
From the beginning of time, in a Utopian world, a traditional fisherwoman and her Daughter are fishing when they pull up an ominous ship, foreshadowing stormy seas and tragedy to follow. Forward to 1862, a British Settler threatens an Aboriginal man to lead him to safety, whilst in New Zealand, tribes cocooned deep in the forest are preparing for a terrifying future.
In 1915, men from the Pacific were sent to support the British Colony in World War One fighting for a land that isn’t theirs, with uncertainty of ever seeing home again. Flashing forward into a dystopian future, a young child must navigate her way through a dangerous underground marketplace to save her grandfather and survive.
We Are Still Here showcases the expansive landscapes of the Central Australian Desert to the lush green rainforests of New Zealand.
In spite of colonialism, racism, imperialism and the attempted erasure of Indigenous lives, WE ARE STILL HERE.
Chapters
Lured (Animation)
Written/Directed by Danielle MacLean
In a pre-dated Utopia, a mother and daughter are fishing when they pull up an ominous ship, signalling a treacherous future that will separate the pair. The spiritual ties that bind them will be the only thing that can bring them back together.
Woke
Written/Directed by Dena Curtis
Set in 1862 Arrente Country (Central Australia), a British settler threatens an Aboriginal tracker to guide him to the nearest settlement. Through their dangerous journey in the outback, the settler discovers the consequences of his actions, and his fate.
Te Puuru
Written/Directed by Tim Worrall & Richard Curtis
Inspired by the origins of the famous Tūhoe haka (war dance) ‘Te Puuru’, the story follows Te Mauniko, the daughter of Tūhoe chief Te Whenuanui, who challenges tribal traditions in order to support the fight against the British colony in the battle for Orākau, Aotearoa (New Zealand), 1864.
The Uniform
Written/Directed by Miki Magasiva & Mario Gaoa
A comedic take on the horrors of World War One, where a young Samoan soldier in the New Zealand Native cavalry trapped in the trenches of Gallipoli forms a friendship with an unlikely Turkish ally.
Blankets
Written by Tiraroa Reweti, Directed by Chantelle Burgoyne
Set in a dystopian future in the underground tunnels of Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), a young girl races to find medicine for her ailing grandfather, and must use the knowledge passed down to her to beat the rulers of the dangerous marketplace.
Rebel Art
Written/Directed by Tracey Rigney
A young Aboriginal activist becomes an art vigilante in the streets of Naarm (Melbourne) after a tragic accident occurs in her family.
The Bull & The RŪRŪ
Written/Directed by Renae Maihi
In 1982 a young and enraged man, Rob, is arrested during the Springbok Tour protests. Along the way, he meets an older mentor who helps him find what he’s always been searching for.
Grog Shop
Written by Samuel Nuggin-Paynter, Directed by Beck Cole
An unexpected romantic comedy about a middle-aged Aboriginal man who tries to buy grog from the local grog shop, only to be refused by an oppressive police officer.
