Blackfellas

But we’re your people. Doug Dooligan has lost count of the number of times he’s heard that phrase. Nineteen years old and on parole all he wants to do is get on with his life, away from the influence of his best friend Floyd “Pretty Boy” Davies. Doug wants to get a job, save some money and buy back his father’s property, Yetticup, the land of his people’s Dreaming. Floyd wants his old partner in crime to join him in “bigger and better things”. Floyd thinks Doug’s decision to go straight means that he is giving up on his “blackfella” lifestyle and being a “whitefella”. Doug is half white and is torn between his love for Floyd and his family obligations. The pressures of friendship, family, identity and blackfella versus whitefella lifestyles, almost jeopardise Doug’s chances of achieving his dream. He goes back to his old ways, but unexpectedly the tables turn and it is Floyd who acts to save Doug’s dream, and give him hope for the future. BLACKFELLAS is based on the book “Day of the dog” by Archie Weller, a Perth writer who grew up with the Nyoongah people from the Perth area and James Ricketson, the writer/director of BLACKFELLAS, consulted extensively with the Nyoongah community during the development of the script. It is a moving and powerful study of Aboriginal society which is shown from an insider’s perspective, producing a sensitive and compassionate drama. Awards: Winner, Feature Film Category, Human Rights Awards, 1993; Western Australian Premier’s Literary Award, 1993; Nominated, Best Achievement in Direction and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Australian Film Institute Awards, 1993; Winner, Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Australian Film Institute Awards, 1993