SwollenThumb

This film captures the joys and struggles of life on an Indigenous Homeland in Arnhem Land Australia, as seen through the eyes of a young man Damien Guyula who tells the story of his ancestors via a remarkable archive of film and photographs spanning nearly 50 years created by Melbourne man Neville White who first visited the area in the early 1970s after returning from the Vietnam War. It has become a place for veterans to help heal themselves and volunteers from the wonderful Rotary Club of Melbourne to help pass on their skills to the Homeland inhabitants and build the infrastructure needed so that community services like education can exist and allow them to remain in the community of their ancestors, away from the destructive alcohol and drugs that are a challenge elsewhere. A true insight into the clear-headed vision of the future these people desire, the culture they wish to preserve, its destruction by companies who don't bother to include them in any decisions, the bureaucratic obstacles put in their way to stop them going forward. Wait till after the credits at the end for a truly touching funeral tribute in song to a clan leader. This film includes footage of Aboriginal rituals I never thought I'd see. Thanks to Dr Neville White for a remarkable record.