Movies

In My Own Words

Synopsis

Raw, heartfelt, sometimes painstaking but often funny, In My Own Words follows the journey of adult Aboriginal students and their teachers as they discover the transformative power of reading and writing for the first time in their lives.

"They don't think they can do it, but I know they can", says indefatigable class organiser Mary.

Erica Glynn's documentary focuses on a classroom in Brewarrina, a rural northwest NSW town with a majority Aboriginal population. Research reveals that 45–65% of Aboriginal adults are functionally illiterate.

Learning your ABCs as an adult can be a painstaking undertaking but for a group of blackfellas in the small Australian outback town of Brewarrina having a caring friend by your side makes all the difference in the world, in fact it can lead you to discover the transformative powers of reading and writing for the first time in your life.

Filming every day of the 13-week course, Glynn captures the woman and men, the poverty and hardship, behind this sobering statistic.

Trailer

Details

Release dates
9 June 2017 - Australia
30 July 2017 - TV premiere on SBS and NITV as part of the <em>You Are Here</em> series
Rating
MA 15+ - Mature accompanied
Distributor
Blackfella Films

Watch now or find a DVD/BlueRay copy

Powered by JustWatch

Browse a list of Aboriginal film suppliers and distributors

Other films by Erica Glynn

Go exploring!

Use the Aboriginal film timeline to discover films you never heard of.

Take the quiz: Are you an Aboriginal movie buff?

Cite this page

Korff, J 2018, In My Own Words, <https://www.creativespirits.info/resources/movies/in-my-own-words>, retrieved 4 November 2024

Creative Spirits is a starting point for everyone to learn about Aboriginal culture. Please use primary sources for academic work.

Join thousands of Smart Owls who know more!