Human Rights Arts & Film Festival. Human Rights, Australia.

This selection of shorts includes:

Yolngu Guya Djamamirr
Backseat
Days Like These
Mixed Bag
Nana
Intervention

INTERVENTION
World Premiere

Australia 2008, English/Indigenous languages with English subtitles, 52mins
Director(s)/Writer(s): Vincent Lamberti
Producer(s): Tangentyere Council
Genre: Documentary
Themes: Discrimination, Child abuse, Indigenous Health
Related Links: http://www.tangentyere.org.au, http://www.closethegap.com.au

Synopsis

Following the 2007 release of the Little Children Are Sacred report - which exposed a worrying prevalence of child abuse in indigenous communities - the Howard government responded by bringing in emergency legislation known as 'The Intervention'. This new policy generated public outcry and upturned the lives of the Northern Territory's indigenous population.

Based on 40 interviews from a cross section of the aboriginal community living in and around Alice Springs, Intervention discusses town camps, quarantine laws, ration cards, alcoholism and the shame and disempowerment that has ensued as a consequence of governmental intrusion.

Lamberti, who has lived in Alice Springs since 2005, creates an intimate forum, straight from the community's mouth. The end result is a rich dialogue of stories and viewpoints rarely found in mainstream media. The people whose lives have been affected since the implementation of the policy in 2007, were never given the chance to have their say. This is their voice.