The Last Daughter
VICTORIAN PREMIERE
Presented by Hardie Grant
Director intro (pre-recorded) with Brenda Matthews
SUNDAY 7 MAY 2023 | 3:15PM
ACMI
Film Synopsis
At Campbelltown train station in 1973, a young Aboriginal girl was handed over to her hopeful new white foster parents. One day, her parents were forced to give her back to the family she was originally taken from.
For the first time, Brenda Matthews speaks about her experience as a child of the Stolen Generation. Decades on, she feels disconnected from both halves of her life. The traumas of her past refuse to rest quietly buried, so she goes searching for the foster family with whom she had lost all contact.
Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies, and the possibility for deeper connections to family and culture. The Last Daughter is a powerful and inspiring documentary about Brenda's journey to unearth the truth in her past, and reconcile the two sides of her family.
This film features a pre-recorded introduction from director Brenda Matthews.
Brenda Matthew’s book The Last Daughter will be available to purchase at The ACMI Shop post-screening.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the film may contain images and voices of deceased persons.
Film Info
Rating: PG
Director: Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt
Country: Australia
Year: 2022
Duration: 87 minutes
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Awards: Winner - Audience Award Best Documentary - Adelaide Film Festival
Screening Location: ACMI Federation Square, Melbourne | Plan your visit to ACMI
Accessibility: Wheelchair, Open Captions
Presented by Hardie Grant
Pre-recorded intro with Director Brenda Matthews
Brenda Matthews is a proud Wiradjuri woman living with her husband Mark, in Bundjalung Country, Queensland. Since 2012 they've been hosting cultural camps together, taking teenagers on Country. Brenda is a mother, a grandmother, a poet, a writer, a speaker and an emerging film director, making her feature film debut with The Last Daughter, a documentary about Brenda's life. As part of her journey, Brenda penned her first book, also titled The Last Daughter, which she's currently editing with Text Publishing. Having trained with Karen Thomas, a renowned speaking coach, Brenda shares her story through public speaking, booking engagements across the education and corporate sectors.