Facing the Numbers

A unique mixture of different forms of Indigenous storytelling, this vibrant documentary finds the humanity behind all-too-familiar statistics.

The numbers don’t lie: First Nations people are disproportionately more likely to be separated from their families, incarcerated as both youths and adults, and become victims of police brutality. But, as Facing the Numbers states on opening: “The statistics tell one story; we tell another.” Sharing the voices of members of the Stolen Generations, those who have lost family members to deaths in custody and survivors of violence in custody, this unique hybrid anthology – a mixture of memoir, music video, poetry, dance, journalism and activism – lends space to the personal stories behind experience of disadvantage and institutionalised violence.

Faced with the seemingly intractable, insurmountable problems of colonial power structures, systemic oppression and endemic racism, First Peoples creatives Kieran Satour (Gurindji, Pertame and Worimi) and Tyson Perkins (Arrernte and Kalkadoon) have crafted a cinematic manifesto entirely built from Indigenous perspectives, connecting to ancient traditions of oral storytelling and songlines. At once sobering and optimistic, this mesmerising documentary showcases strength and resilience in the face of deeply entrenched inequality.

Content: Melbourne International Film Festival