15 Indigenous Movies And TV Shows That Everyone Should See At Least Once

Want to learn more about the Indigenous culture and heritage and looking for something new to watch, then these movies should definitely be on your list.

1. Sweet Country (2018)

Set in 1929, this movie sheds light on the harsh and atrocious racism that existed Indigenous Australians experiences from European Settlers. This story is told through the journey of an Aboriginal stockman who kills a white station owner in self-defence. Statutory warning, this will be hard to watch but if you are looking to educate yourself on the injustices that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have faced, this movie will do exactly that.

Available on: YouTube and Google Play & Movies.

2. Cleverman (2016-2017)

Cleverman may mask itself as a superhero classic tale but it is so much more than that. The show has reimagined stories from Aboriginal Dreamtime through two estranged Gumbaynggir brothers. One of them is a hero that fights for survival in a dystopian future.

In Aboriginal cultures, Cleverman acts as the bridge between the past and the dreaming. There are also references to other Aboriginal mythology like the Hairypeople. In the show, Hairypeople speak their own language and are confined to a “zone”. Which mirrors issues of racism and asylum seekers in a gripping and entertaining manner.

Available on: ABC iView

3. Mabo (2012)

Mabo tells a beautiful tale of what people can achieve when they come together to fight against injustice. The movie follows Eddie Mabo and his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights, which eventually turned into a historic decision in Australia law where the doctrine of terra nullius ("nobody's land") was overturned in favour of the recognition of native title claims.

Available on: ABC iView, Google Play & Movies and YouTube.

4. The Sapphires (2012)

Based on a true story, The Sapphires narrated the journey of our incredible Yorta Yorta women from regional Australia. The movie follows their path as individual singers to a girl group that travelled to Vietnam to sing for US troops during the Vietnam War.

Available on: Netflix, Google Play Movies & TV and YouTube.

5. Redfern Now (2012-2015)

Set in inner west Sydney, Redfern now is an anthology series addressing a number of issues that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders face in the designated suburb. Additionally, the show is directed and produced and cast with/by First Nations people.

Available on: ABC iView, Stan, Google Play Movies & TV and YouTube.

6. The Tall Man (2011)

This movie tells the devastating but sadly familiar story of Cameron "Mulrunji" Doomadgee's death in police custody on 19 November 2004 and the subsequent community reaction to this act of police brutality.

The plot revolved around Doomadgee was arrested while walking home intoxicated by Sergeant Chris Hurley — or "the tall man. 45 minutes later, Doomadgee was found dead in police custody with injuries that mimicked injuries of a fatal car crash. The police claimed that his death was due to an accident on tripping on a step.

Available on: DocPlay.

7. Toomelah (2011)

This movie sheds light on the reality of growing up in a disadvantaged community

This movie tells the story of Daniel, a 10-year old boy who comes from a broken home and is growing in a disadvantaged and remote Aboriginal community. Like many of his peers, Daniel grows up in an environment where a man aspiring to be a gangster was normal. As a result, he joins a gang of drug dealers after he was suspended from school. The story was inspired by director Ivan Sen's experiences and memories of visiting Toomelah, which is where his mother grew up.

Available on: iTunes.

8. Samson and Delilah (2009)

Its described to be a jarring introduction to a kind of Australia that is more often than not, out of sight and mind. A love story between two teenagers from a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia is heartfelt romantic drama but also addresses many social issues such as poverty, homelessness, racism and substance abuse.

Available on: Stan, YouTube, Google Play & Movies.

9. Bran Nue Dae (2009)

A film adaptation of the 1990 stage musical released during the time of reconciliation and reclamation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' rights. Bran Nue Dae is recognised as being one of the first Indigenous musicals in Australian cinema. The movie focused on Willie, an Aboriginal teenager in Broome who embarks on a road trip in the 1960s. The movie and the character of Willie explore topics of identity, colonisation and racial oppression.

Available on: Google Play Movies & TV and YouTube.

10. Ten Canoes (2006)

A movie with incredible depth that educates viewers on Aboriginal culture. The screenplay is in Aboriginal languages, with the majority of the actors — who are from the Ramingining community in the Northern Territory — speaking various dialects of the Yolngu Matha language family. Except for Crusoe Kurddal who is from Maningrida and speaks Kuninjku.

Available on: YouTube and Google Play & Movies.

11. Kanyini (2006)

An Aboriginal man from Uluru who is the subject of this documentary explains how "kanyini is the principle of connectedness through caring and responsibility and why it underpins Aboriginal life. Randall also stories of his personal journey, his knowledge of Anangu wisdom and the struggles of Aboriginal Australians in modern Australia.

Available on: Vimeo, as provided by Reverb Film.

12. Beneath Clouds (2002)

Beneath Clouds depicts the weaving of two characters who both feel alienated from their family and sense of identity. Lena, daughter of an Aboriginal mother and an Irish father she's never met, felt isolated in the small town she grew up in. She then sets out on a journey to meet with her father in Sydney, and en route meets Vaugh, a juvenile detainee that escaped the detention centre to visit his sick mother.

Available on: SBS On Demand.

13. Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

This controversial release exposed a darker side of Australia's history, namely the Stolen Generation, which was a government policy where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to live at state institutions or with white families. The movie follows 3 Aboriginal children Daisy, Molly and Gracie who are trying to escape from Moore River Native Settlement to return their family in Jigalong.

Available on: Stan, Foxtel Go, Google Play Movies & TV and YouTube.

14. The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)

This movie is a non-filtered and a very real representation of the racism in Australia, The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith almost 4 decades after it’s premiere is still as relevant today. Based on Thomas Keneally's 1972 novel, an Aboriginal man who is racially discriminated and exploited commits murder and then goes into hiding. The movie isn’t afraid to confront its horrific depictions of violence, which force viewers to nudges viewers to ask the tough questions regarding racism in Australia.

Available on: YouTube and Google Play & Movies.

15. Jedda (1955)

Jedda was the first Australian film that starred two Aboriginal actors - Ngarla Kunoth and Robert Tudawali in leading roles. The movie is about an orphaned Aboriginal girl taken by a white family who cannot have children. While growing up, she is not allowed to learn about her Aboriginal roots but is also not completely accepted in the white community.

Available on: SBS On Demand.