Kanopy (Firm)

A Pitjantjatjara word meaning interconnectedness; caring, support, nurturing, and responsibility, "Kanyini" is a feature documentary which explores the philosophy and the life of Bob Randall, an Aboriginal man who lived in Mutitjulu, a town beside the world's greatest monolith, Uluru, in Central Australia. Bob Randall is a 'Tjilpi’ (old fella) of the Yankunytjatjara people and a member of the Stolen Generations.. In"Kanyini" Randall shares his knowledge...

Pride in culture overcomes prejudice. DANIEL BOYD paints Captain Cook as pirate, not explorer, and his large dot paintings ask big questions about past actions of the church. Yolngu man WANYUBI MARIKA’s art proudly tells ancient stories of law and land. The past is embedded in the light installations of JONATHAN JONES, proclaiming that Australia’s rich Aboriginal past can’t be extinguished, even within a metropolis as dominant as Sydney. ESME...

Freedom Stories is an exploration by filmmaker Steve Thomas of the achievements and struggles of former ‘boat people’. Now Australian citizens, they arrived seeking asylum from the Middle-East around 2001 – a watershed year in Australian politics sparked by the Tampa affair and Prime Minister John Howard’s declaration: “We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come”.. Some were only children when they...

In the middle of a crowded city the paths of two strangers, a man and a woman, collide. This accidental, chance occurrence sets in motion a chain of events that sees the two strangers embark on a night of adventure and connection that challenges their separate lives.. "A high-spirited and humane dramedy with a sparkling joie de vivre and an infectious passion for people and their idiosyncrasies." - Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian

Filmed over three decades, ON RICHARD'S SIDE charts the life-story of Richard, a young man with a complex disability since birth. The film provides intimate and poignant insights into his parents’ determined quest to establish a quality life for their son and for themselves...Richard’s mum, Deirdre is now ageing and she is fiercely committed to finding an answer to the questions: who will care for Richard in the next stage of his life and what...

Comedian Becky Lucas jokes about taboo subjects. When she realized her best childhood friend had suffered years of horrific domestic violence, Becky became determined to bring the subject out into the open.. Becky had suspected something might be wrong with her friend but did nothing, and still feels a deep regret that she didn't act on her suspicions and help her friend. But what does an abusive relationship even look like? How does it begin? And...

Yolngu Homeland explores how a community in Arnhem Land, Australia, is connected with other beings - ancestors, animals and plants.. Aboriginal people have lived in Arnhem Land for over 45,000 years. Over time they have developed a deep, spiritual connection with the land. Totemic beings of significance include the saltwater crocodile, crows, dogs, crabs, sea eagles, turtles, and yams. The film follows 'Yolngu time’ where the pace is measured and...

Jonathon Welch’s music program inside Tarrengower women’s prison is visited by country and western star Kasey Chambers who helps the women write their own songs and the choir performs at the Castlemaine Fringe Festival..

Master filmmaker Charles Chauvel delivers an exciting tale of high peril, inland exploration and forbidden romance in UNCIVILISED. Filmed on location in 1937, it tells the story of high society author Beatrice Lynn. Unfulfilled and looking for inspiration, she heads into the wilds of northern Australia in search of an indigenous tribe ruled by a non-indigenous man named Mara.. Embarking on a tumultuous journey, battling the heat and extremes of the...

Domestic abuse is a dark shadow that lives in the heart of Australian society, affecting individuals, families and neighbourhoods. In regional, rural and remote Australia, whole communities can be affected. In this powerful short film, this often hidden subject is brought to light by people willing to speak out about abuse to help create social change. With the help of the NSW Police Force, one little town in the far west of NSW is using the voices...