Blood Brothers Screens Final On Maori Television

Blood Brothers Screens Final On Maori Television

The four-part collection of contemporary Aboriginal documentaries draws to a close this week as BLOOD BROTHERS screens its final on Saturday November 27 at 10.00 PM.

BLOOD BROTHERS is a four-part collection of documentaries that were acquired by Maori Television from SBS Television’s Aboriginal Unit. These one-hour documentaries are real stories showing what Aboriginality – both contemporary and traditional – means through the narration of four very different personal stories.

So far, Broken English saw Arrernte elder Rupert Max Stuart tell his story of how he served a life sentence for a crime he didn't commit, Freedom Ride saw outspoken activist Charles Perkins recreate the early civil rights movement in Australia and last week’s episode, From Little Things Big Things Grow, visited the achievements of outstanding Aboriginal musician Kev Carmody.

Now, the final part in the collection Jardiwarnpa – A Warlpiri Fire Ceremony – tells the poignant story of Darby Jampinjimpa Ross, a law man and elder in Central Australia that details the significance of his community’s fire ceremony.

The documentary was made with the close co-operation of the outback Warlpiri community of Yuendumu. Retaining traditional culture and law the community results in the staging – over several weeks – of the symbolic fire ceremony, involving hundreds of people. Anthropologists describe the ceremony as a means of resolving personal conflicts in society and elders speak of the ceremony as a means of paying tribute to ancestors.

The documentary is directed by independent producer / director Ned Lander. Lander’s credits include Wrong Side of the Road (award-winning feature film) and a one-hour television documentary Into the Mainstream, that followed Aboriginal group Yothu Yindi on tour in North America with Midnight Oil. His films have been screened at many international festivals including New York and London and his outstanding treatment of his subject matter will now be seen on Maori Television this Sunday.

The documentary is also co-produced by Arrernte Aboriginal Rachel Perkins, who has served as producer of the Aboriginal Unit at SBS Television, as well as a producer of a number of documentaries and specials, including Aboriginal children’s language series Manyu Wanna and international documentary series Spirit to Spirit.

Don’t miss the final instalment in the outstanding BLOOD BROTHERS documentary series on Jardiwarnpa – A Warlpiri Fire Ceremony, screening on Maori Television this Saturday November 27 at 10.00 PM.

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