Black Chicks Talking

Leah Purcell, Brendan Fletcher | Australia 2002 | 52 min

Black Chicks Talking is a compilation of interviews with five women, inteviews during which they reveal memories of their pasts as well as their future aspirations.

They come from different walks of life and are an actress, a netballer, a dancer, a businesswoman, a mother, a lawyer, a community police warden or even a former Miss Australia.

The interviews are casual in tone, but they do reveal depths of truth. While the discussions reflect current political and social issues, they offer, just as strongly, a series of real and personal insights into uncomfortable aspects of Australian history.

In doing so, these women's personal stories reveal a wide range of emotions. Experiences such as losing siblings and children to foster homes, and living with alcoholism and domestic violence bring forth tears, while childhood antics, travelling tales and general 'gabbing on' lighten the load. Each woman's story does, however, reveal a pride for heritage, although this is heavily laced with the sense of searching for a lost culture. (Edited version of the book review mentioned below.)

Cast	All women play themselves.
Release dates	July 18th, 2002 - Australia
Video/DVD Release Date	not available
Awards	Best documentary (2002 IF Awards) Best documentary (2002 Lexus IF Awards)
Rating	M15+
Language level	medium
Distributor	Film Australia
Soundtrack	not available
Genre	Documentary
Notes	The five women are: Rosanna Angus, community warden and cultural tour guide in her traditional Western Australian community of One Arm Point Kathryn Hay, from Tasmania, who was the first Aboriginal Miss Australia Deborah Mailman, award-winning actress (Radiance), born and bred in Mount Isa, Queensland Cilla Malone, mother of six who lives in Cherbourg, an Aboriginal settlement in southeast Queesland Tammy Williams, from Gympie, a lawyer who aims to be the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Leah Purcell grew up in Murgon, Queensland and is an Aboriginal woman of the Wakka Wakka people. Also by Leah Purcell: Aunty Maggie and the Womba Wakgun (short) Leah Purcell has featured in the films 'Jindabyne', 'Lantana', 'Somersault' and 'The Proposition'. She has also written a semi-autobiographical play, 'Box the Pony'. 'Black Chicks Talking' is based on a book with the same title also by Leah Purcell (Hodder Headline, 2002; ISBN 0733610706, review). 'Black Chicks Talking' was adapted as a play at the 2002 Sydney Festival by Leah Purcell and Sean Mee.
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