Movies

JABIRU 0886: Trespass

Synopsis

There are only a few great tales of true resistance in our nations' history, tales that inspire us to believe that in the fight impossible odds can be beaten. This is such a story. Ynonne Margarula is the unsung hero at its heart.

Only 24 members of Yvonne Margarula's community remain alive today. Her language and cultural survival are threatened with extinction. Yet this gently spoken traditional Aboriginal woman has led the Mirarr people on a non- violent campaign of resistance that has stopped successive Federal and Territory Governments and two of the worlds largest mining companies, in their tracks.

Trespass is a unique and powerful film on many levels. It is the first time Yvonne Margarula has agreed to be the subject of a long-form film about the Mirarr struggle. It is also the first time the story has been heard in the threatened language of the traditional owners. And crucially, it is the first time the Jabiluka story has been told with such humanity, such unshakeable quiet strength, via the lyrical, immutable voice of Yvonne Margarula.

Main content kindly supplied by David Vadiveloo and Anna Kaplan.

Details

Cast
Jacqui Katona
Yvonne Margarula
Mirarr community
Release dates
2002 - Australia
Awards
Best International Documentary - 2002 Golden Sheaf Awards, Canada Special Jury Commendation - 2003 Sydney Flickerfest Finalist: Best Documentary - 2003 ATOM Awards
Rating
Distributor
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA)
Soundtrack
Michael Den Elzen
Notes

Title origin: Margarula came into the national spotlight in 1998 when she was arrested for trespass on her own traditional land, which is also the site of the Jabiluka uranium mine.

Trespass is part of the Nganampa Anwernekenhe series produced by Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) Productions. Nganampa Anwernekenhe means 'ours' in the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte languages, and the series aims to contribute to the preservation of Indigenous languages and cultures.

Other films by David Vadiveloo: Bush Bikes; Beyond Sorry; Us Mob, a landmark ABC children's television and interactive series; Voices From the Cape.

Trespass does not give the mining company's point of view, nor the government's. This is deliberate. David Vadiveloo explains that he "made a deliberate decision not to include the government and mining perspective because these perspectives are given disproportionate attention by mainstream media and [he] felt the voice of the community deserved the entire program slot to accurately reflect the history of the mine and the challenges facing the community today."

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Cite this page

Korff, J 2018, JABIRU 0886: Trespass, <https://www.creativespirits.info/resources/movies/jabiru-0886-trespass>, retrieved 10 December 2024

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