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A remarkable and eye-opening series screened on Australian television in 1981. It was called Women of the Sun and it charted new ground by bringing the Aboriginal story through the eyes of Aboriginal women - in their own language - to a national audience for the first time.
Twenty-five years later, Bob Weis, the producer of the original series, sets out to uncover the impact of the film on five of the women who played major roles. His journey, stretching from Arnhem Land to the southern states, unveils a profound and moving tale of discovery, not just for himself but for those whom he meets. Particularly potent footage includes Weis' return to Yirrkala where he comes across the cast for the first episode of the original series.
As Professor Marcia Langton says in the film, ”(Women of the Sun) was saying things before it became fashionable to say these things because the scientists and the historians later figured out that life was much more complicated in Australia than they had previous imagined.”
Filmmaker will be attending the festival
Director Bob Weis, together with Justine Saunders, Eva Johnson & Renee Johnson will introduce the session on Sunday 6 August, 3pm at ACMI. A Q&A will follow the screening.
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D/P/S Bob Weis Dist Ronin Films TD video/2006/80mins
Bob Weis was born in Germany in 1947. His films include Wills & Burke (1985) and he was producer of Women of the Sun (1981).
Justine Saunders
