Movies

Exile and the Kingdom

Synopsis

Exile and the Kingdom traces the experiences of a community of Aboriginal people from pre-colonial times to the 1990s.

In the beginning, when the world was soft, creation beings lifted the earth out of the sea. Then the world became hard... colonisation, slavery and mining booms followed.

This award-winning feature documentary is the story of the Aboriginal people of Roebourne –the Yindjibarndi, Ngarluma, Banyjima and Gurrama peoples – their law, tribal voice and survival.

The film makes the connection between Aboriginal people in chains in the 19th century and Aboriginal people in prisons today, so providing a deeper understanding of how the violence and denials of the past inform the present. Ultimately, it gives conviction that with their extraordinary resilience, the Aboriginal peoples of Australia survive and flourish.

The documentary argues that the relentless removal of the Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma people into coastal ghettos has led to the community's current problems. The film moves you through the period of British colonisation – unearthing appalling facts about slavery and the violent rule of pearling and pastoral overlords – to the abuses of the 1960s mining boom and problems of alcohol. Yet it never allows the viewer to forget the significance and influence of spiritual homelands, the bedrock upon which Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma tribal law is based. Above all,

Exile and the Kingdom is a beautifully logical and persuasive argument for land rights.

Trailer

Details

Video/DVD release date
1 December 2020
Awards
Major Media Peace Award, United Nations Association Of Australia, 1993. Best Documentary & Best Achievement In Sound, Australian Film Institute Awards, 1993. Best Documentary, Louis St John Johnson Media Awards, 1993. Australian Human Rights Award For Best Documentary,1994.
Rating
G - general

Watch now or find a DVD/BlueRay copy

Powered by JustWatch

Browse a list of Aboriginal film suppliers and distributors

Other films by Frank Rijavec

Go exploring!

Use the Aboriginal film timeline to discover films you never heard of.

Take the quiz: Are you an Aboriginal movie buff?

Cite this page

Korff, J 2020, Exile and the Kingdom, <https://stage.creativespirits.info/resources/movies/exile-and-the-kingdom>, retrieved 16 October 2024

Creative Spirits is a starting point for everyone to learn about Aboriginal culture. Please use primary sources for academic work.

Join thousands of Smart Owls who know more!