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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Hurtling through space and time, We Are Still Here is an unparalleled First Nations celebration, interweaving eight stories by 10 directors from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

'Conceived as a cinematic response to the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in this region, We Are Still Here is a poetic and powerful statement of resistance and survival. Through eight heroic protagonists, the film traverses 1000 years exploring stories of kinship, loss, grief and resilience. It begins with a stunning animation set in ancient times, when a mother and daughter out fishing have a disturbing vision of the future. Then we are taken to 1862 where, in both Australia and New Zealand, Indigenous people confront the prospect of a terrifying future. In 1915, a Samoan soldier finds himself in a perilous situation, but also encounters an unexpected act of kindness. Alongside stories set in the past, there are also contemporary stories of activism, of confronting racism, of romance and of ancestral love. And finally, a vision of a dystopian future. Bringing together a range of genres – animation, sci-fi, romantic comedy, period drama – We Are Still Here is cumulatively a strident story of endurance in the face of colonialism, racism and attempted erasure. It is also evidence of thrilling new First Nations cinematic talent from our region.'

Source: Sydney Film Festival.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Language: Aboriginal Arrernte AIATSIS ref. (C8) (NT SG53-02) AUSTLANG note: There are several dialects of Arrernte (cf. Koch 2004) but in this database, distinctions between Central Arrernte, Western Arrernte, Southern Arrernte, and Eastern Arrernte are not made , Maori , English , Samoan , Turkish
Notes:
with English sub-titles.

Works about this Work

Brief Encounters Just a Taste David Stratton , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 18-19 February 2023; (p. 15)

— Review of We Are Still Here Danielle MacLean , Dena Napuljarri Curtis , Tim Worrall , Richard Curtis , Miki Magasiva , Mario Gaoa , Tiraroa Reweti , Chantelle Burgoyne , Tracey Rigney , Renae Maihi , Samuel Nuggin-Paynter , 2022 anthology film/TV
'We Are Still Here : ' A New Film by and about First Nations People 2023 single work review
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , February 2023;

— Review of We Are Still Here Danielle MacLean , Dena Napuljarri Curtis , Tim Worrall , Richard Curtis , Miki Magasiva , Mario Gaoa , Tiraroa Reweti , Chantelle Burgoyne , Tracey Rigney , Renae Maihi , Samuel Nuggin-Paynter , 2022 anthology film/TV

'Filmmaker Beck Cole, supervising producer of 'We Are Still Here' spoke to ABC News about the project.'

Sydney Film Festival Opens with First Nations Film We Are Still Here Maryanne Taouk , 2022 single work column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , June 2022;

'For the creators of the First Nations film We Are Still Here, the arrival of James Cook at Sydney’s Botany Bay 252 years ago is not the whole story.'

'We Are Still Here : ' A New Film by and about First Nations People 2023 single work review
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , February 2023;

— Review of We Are Still Here Danielle MacLean , Dena Napuljarri Curtis , Tim Worrall , Richard Curtis , Miki Magasiva , Mario Gaoa , Tiraroa Reweti , Chantelle Burgoyne , Tracey Rigney , Renae Maihi , Samuel Nuggin-Paynter , 2022 anthology film/TV

'Filmmaker Beck Cole, supervising producer of 'We Are Still Here' spoke to ABC News about the project.'

Brief Encounters Just a Taste David Stratton , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 18-19 February 2023; (p. 15)

— Review of We Are Still Here Danielle MacLean , Dena Napuljarri Curtis , Tim Worrall , Richard Curtis , Miki Magasiva , Mario Gaoa , Tiraroa Reweti , Chantelle Burgoyne , Tracey Rigney , Renae Maihi , Samuel Nuggin-Paynter , 2022 anthology film/TV
Sydney Film Festival Opens with First Nations Film We Are Still Here Maryanne Taouk , 2022 single work column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , June 2022;

'For the creators of the First Nations film We Are Still Here, the arrival of James Cook at Sydney’s Botany Bay 252 years ago is not the whole story.'

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