In My Blood It Runs

Just wow. WhaT an honest, beautiful depiction of a traumatic system.

A must watch for any and every Australian. A beautiful and heartbreaking glimpse into indigenous life, through the eyes a young boy navigating his way through a landscape that belongs to his people, but faced against a system that doesn't care or respect this.

Maya Newell is a talented storyteller who gives kids and the things they have to say the chance to shine. A very fine and sensitive compilation of scenes that illustrates the inner conflict experienced by a young boy with dual cultural identity, in addition to the barriers the Arrernte people face preserving their culture. This reflection on the beauty and value of culture made me feel deep sadness imagining how a minority culture may be lost forever if it is not respected.

Australia postures as "the most successful multicultural nation on earth". Works for Anglos, Chinese, Indians, you name it. Not so well, if you're Indigenous.

Director Newell couldn't possibly have made this movie without the hard-earned trust of the communities and families. This pays off as cinema, as the central figure of Dujuan springs to life as a complex and renegade character at odds with his "white" schooling. Central locale Alice Springs, not the prettiest of towns, also springs to life visually, under artfully-chosen lenses and shots.

Along the way, Newell makes a powerful case for much more respect and resources to be thrown at Indigenous (non-school, land-based, language-based, elder-centric) channels and pathways of educating Indigenous kids.

It's a case that wouldn't cost that much to realise, in one of the richest countries on earth, which already has a two-tier schooling system in any event.

By OECD norms, a ridiculous share of our $50bn national schooling kitty goes to church schools with selective entry and uncapped fees. Yep, these pampered schools do take a few Indigenous kids. Just enough to make them look good.

This film shows me that if you give people the privilege to make the most of their lives (and culture), you give the same people the best opportunity of living their lives meaningfully and being fulfilled. Now Australia, we just need to invest in that.