Creative Spirits logo
Sorry, no picture available

Freedom Ride

Rachel Perkins, Ned R Lander | Australia 1993 | 55 min

"Freedom Ride" is part of a four-episode documentary by Rachel Perkins and Ned Lander. It tells a chapter of Charles Perkins' life, the father of Rachel. He grew up in Alice Springs in the late 1930s at a time when segregation was the rule.

During his education at the Technical School in Adelaide and the University of Sydney in the early 1960s he became increasingly aware of the injustices perpetrated against Australian Aboriginal people. In 1965, the year he graduated as the first Aboriginal man from university, Charles Perkins led the "Freedom Ride"

The Freedom Ride was a bus load of concerned white and black people, mostly university students, who visited several towns in rural and outback Australia to escalate the level of public awareness of racial intolerance in Australia.

This film documents their journey and talks to those who were part of the Freedom Ride, charting one of the most significant civil rights campaigns in Australian history.

Charles Perkins became one of Australia's most prolific Aboriginal activists.

Cast
Release dates 1993 - Australia
Video/DVD Release Date not available
Awards Winner of two major awards at the Chicago International Television Festival.
1994: "The Tudawali Award" was given to Rachel Perkins for "Blood Brothers".
Rating 18+
Language level not available
Distributor Film Australia
Soundtrack not available
Genre Documentary
Notes
  • You might also consider the film Fire Talker by Ivan Sen which chronicles the life and times of Charles Perkins.
  • Other films by Rachel Perkins:
  • Charles Perkins' son Adam Perkins plays Charles as a young man.
  • The "Blood Brothers" documentary consists of these episodes:
    • Broken English
    • Freedom Ride
    • From Little Things, Big Things Grow
    • Jardiwarnpa-A Warlpiri Fire Ceremony
    They are sold individually.
Find this movie Indigenous film suppliers and distributors

Go shopping

Find Aboriginal books, CDs, DVDs in our Aboriginal Book Store.

Visit shop