Eight teams of Indigenous filmmakers from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific have been selected to work on a joint anthology feature, Cook 2020: Our Right of Reply.
The teams will each create a short chapter for a feature film, which will provide an Indigenous perspective on the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s maiden voyage to the Pacific.
Screen Australia’s Head of Indigenous, Penny Smallacombe said: “This is a rare opportunity for creative collaboration between Indigenous cultures, from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. I’m inspired by the experience and talent of the filmmakers selected to helm this project.”
“These teams have presented exceptional concepts, with stories exploring the past, present and future, with humour and horror, sadness and joy, in response to who we are and how we continue to survive the colonial experience.”
The film project offers a unique opportunity for filmmakers from Australia, New Zealand and across the Pacific to share their voices, stories and histories through examining the impact of Cook’s arrival in our region.
“I’m excited by their unique storytelling styles and individual voices, and how they will complement each other to create a powerful anthology. This unique feature film will shine a light on us, as it should, in this moment in time,” Penny Smallacombe says.
