Doc/Fest - Sheffield

Kempsey is not exactly what you’d call enlightened. In fact in 1967, the town in New South Wales, Australia recorded the most number of votes against aboriginals being allowed to be included in the census. This powerful doc explores the troubled history of the town, from a horrific massacre of Aboriginals in 1838, to the all too real existence of a brutal Aboriginal boys’ home – where many of the boys were snatched from their families. At its core are the testimonies of the residents of a nursing home, recalling lives blighted by poverty, mental illness, suicide and violence. Aboriginal owned and run, the home has a mix of both races - although the indigenous still have a life expectancy 17 years shorter than their white brethren . Further candid interviews with Kempsey inhabitants testify to the ongoing racial tensions – to abiding stereotypes and ongoing segregation. An unusual musical score led by alt country legend Bill Callahan plays its own role in Director Rachel Landers' stylishly edited and memorable exploration of a hidden Australia.