NATIVe Shorts

Green Bush

D: Warwick Thornton

Australia 2005, 27 min

Thornton's autobiographical film tells the story of DJ Kenny, working at a radio station in the Outback. He tries to boost morale for his listeners and also for himself by playing Aboriginal protest music. A funny and edgy tale of one turbulent night.

Two Cars, One Night

D: Taika Waititi

New Zealand 2004, 11 min

Romeo and Polly sit in separate cars outside a pub, waiting for their parents. They're bored until they notice each other – at first they bicker and play it cool, but by the time they have to say goodbye the sparks of first love are flickering.

Payback

D: Warwick Thornton

Australia 1996, 12 min, English subtitles

Paddy is released from prison after 20 years, but he knows his punishment is not over yet – he's only free under the white man's law. At the prison gates he finally has to face 'payback' from his own people.

Nana

D: Warwick Thornton

Australia 2007, 6 min, English subtitles

Nana cooks, dances and paints under the adoring gaze of her small granddaughter. Someone has to put food on the table and the much-loved grandmother is also a fearsome hunter who carries out her own special code of justice.

Turangawaewae - A Place to Stand

D: Peter Burger

New Zealand 2002, 13 min, English subtitles

An elderly man drifts through a city with bits of earth in plastic bags, trapped in his memories and completely lacking a sense of place or dignity. He rediscovers himself and his strength after returning home where he is finally able to plant his feet on ancestral soil.

The Ballad of Crowfoot

D: Willie Dunn

Canada 1968, 10 min

Utilising a powerful montage of archival photographs together with Dunn’s rousing ballad, this poignant, sometimes hard-hitting blend of music and images tells the story of the First Peoples of Canada and of Crowfoot, the legendary Blackfoot Chief.

A Mother's Dream

D: Cherilyn Papatie

Canada 2007, 7 min, English subtitles

The state allows a mother only a few precious hours with her children at a fairground somewhere in Canada. These children are not allowed to live at their real home. Carousel rides and shining faces belie tears in quiet unobserved moments, as the wrenching farewell looms. A personal insight into the issue of the 'Stolen Generations'.

Circle of the Sun

D: Colin Low

Canada 1960, 29 min

Invoking the sky, the earth and the ever-symbolic circle, this visually powerful documentary is the first filmic record of the traditional sun dance ceremony of Canada’s Kainai tribe. Narrated by Pete Standing Alone, who explains his ancestors’ rituals.

Ebony Society

D: Tammy Davis

New Zealand 2011, 13 min, English subtitles

Vinnie and Jonah are up to no good, roaming the streets of Auckland at Christmas. While breaking into a house, the two young men are confronted by an unexpected situation that requires tender handling.