Cirrus@Austlit

'Sweet Country is set in 1929 in the outback of the Northern Territory. It is the story of a young boy called Philomac, who witnesses Sam, an Aboriginal stockman, kill station owner Harry Marsh in self defence. Sam and his pregnant wife Lizzie go on the run and a posse pursues them across the outback. The posse cannot catch Sam, as he is a clever man and an expert bushman. Eventually for the health of his pregnant wife, Sam gives himself up. A trial is held in town and when the truth comes out in the courtroom about Sam's actions, he is acquitted. Justice has been served. Philomac and Sam set off on their journey home, but soon after leaving town, a shot rings out and Justice is crushed…' (Publication summary)

'We listen to their stories as they prepare their camp: stories rich in knowledge of the place and its history. They tell both the Dreamtime stories of the Rainbow Serpent, Kulunada, which lived in the waterhole, and also the violent past of the white settlement of the area.'

'The ruins of a white homestead beside the waterhole evoke stories of the white man’s clash with the Kulunada, and also the shooting of an Aboriginal stockman by the station manager.'

'As Crookhat tells the stories, he is corrected and prompted by the others. As Tranter explains, “the reason we have a narrator and a witness to tell the story is so the story is told the right way.”' (Source: Ronin Films website)

'Karlu Karlu is a quiet, reflective film by an outstanding CAAMA team: David Tranter as director, and Warwick Thornton (director of the award-winning feature, Samson and Delilah) as cinematographer.'

'On 28 October 2008, the government handed back ownership of Karlu Karlu to its traditional owners, after a 28-year campaign by Lesley Blackhat Foster and others. Karlu Karlu, otherwise known as the Devils Marbles, is an area of huge boulders with great spiritual and historical significance, 114km south of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.'

'As an Elder with responsibility for the land, Lesley Foster tells Dreamtime stories of Karlu Karlu, and recalls how the area used to be a meeting place for many tribes, with many languages, all of whom shared responsibility for the place.'

'He also reflects on the long campaign to win back ownership of the area from the government, as well as the return of one significant boulder which had been removed to mark the grave of Dr John Flynn, the founder of the Flying Doctor Service. Archival photographs and beautifully filmed landscapes enrich the stories.'

'His story-telling ends with his thoughts about the importance of teaching the younger generation about their responsibilities as eventual owners of the land.' (Source: Ronin Films website)