Aquarius

The age of Aquarius floods into Nimbin in this radical, love-fuelled documentary exploring the lasting impact of a 1970s counterculture crucible.

Back in 1973, the Northern Rivers town of Nimbin, New South Wales, was a blip on the map with a population of around 300. Then, in May, 10,000 students, mystics, hippies and counterculture leaders descended on the small dairy town, bringing their hopes for peace, love and a lot of dope (and other substances) to the 10-day Aquarius Festival. In their multitude, the audacious revellers not only faced down the cops but transformed the town forevermore, with many never leaving.

Director Wendy Champagne (BAS! Beyond the Red Light) stitches together interviews with festival founders Johnny Allen and Graeme Dunstan, festival-goers looking back from 50 years on and an incredible wealth of archival footage from this one-in-a-lifetime event – scooped up from forgotten home videos, unprocessed camera negatives and newspaper reports. In a time when protests have erupted across Australia and faced considerable pushback, this spirited documentary about the conflict between the establishment and the alternative feels resoundingly prescient.