The story of two men on the run from the police in outback NSW, Backroads was the first feature film in which First Peoples made a major creative contribution, other than fine acting. The dialogue between the two main characters elevates the film into an angry polemical statement about white responsibility for the poverty and destitution of Indigenous people. Essie Coffey, playing herself, talks about her people’s struggle for land rights.
Also stars Gary Foley, Bill Hunter and Julie McGregor and features photography by Russell Boyd.
Credits
Appears in
Constellation
Black Power through film and TV
The Black Power movement of the late 1960s and early 70s was “the most exciting and dynamic era in modern Indigenous history” according to Aboriginal activist Professor Gary Foley, who gained widespread attention for protests during the time and later leveraged film and TV to fight for Indigenous rights.
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
36368
Language
English
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Aboriginal Australia → Aboriginal Australians - Land tenure
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Police films
Drama
Drama → Road movies
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Aboriginal Australians - Social conditions
Feature films
Feature films → Feature films - Australia
History → History
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)