Dublin,Ireland, Screening of "Liyarn Nigarin" *Pete Postlewaite, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter

Dublin (Ireland) Screening of "Liyarn Nigarin" with Peter Postlewaite followed by
gig with Archie Roach, Rubie Hunter, Bart Willoughby, Shane Howard,
Steve Cooney, Mary Black & others

Report by Ciaron O'Reilly

Well the film was excellent and from chatting to a
bearded hip Peter Postlewaite his heart is definitely in it. He
stumbled across the struggle of aboriginal Australia relatively recently while staging a
one man play in Perth. Before going on stage one night, Postlewaite was approached by Scouser, Bill Johnson, who
had been in the seminary in Liverpool with him way back when. Bill had since moved to
Australia, married and adopted 3 children. The aboriginal lad adopted,
Louis St John, was murdered in his late teens by 3 English racists
recently arrived in Australia. When the cops asked why they chose the
victim, the response was "Because he was black!"

Postlewaite
takes this response personally as an Englishman, seeing it as an
attitude that runs directly from the early pastoralists encounter of
aborigines. He hooks up with a product of the Stolen Generation policy
former street drinker now musician Archie Roach and former priest now
Aboriginal activist Pat Dodson and takes us on a moving journey.

The
film looks at Western Australian aboriginal deaths/killings in custody
that the coroner continually writes off as "misadventure" and then an
exploration of the stolen generation removal policy of aboriginal
children to be integrated into white society. We travel to the victim's
original family and outback community. The film then broadens out to
analyse recent Australian government policy ignited by the racist One
Nation/Pauline Hanson populism and adopted and finetuned by the 11 year
conservative
Howard government rolling back the Mabo decision in the High Courts
that for the first time in the courts recognised aboriginal occupation
before British invasion. The jury is still out on how much substance
will go with the recent apology to the stolen generation by recently
elected Labor Prime Minister Rudd. The speech by former Labor Prime
Minister Paul Keating in the early '90's directly linking white gain to
black loss is impressive. The cringing, small mindedness arrogance of
conservative PM howard also gets a good airing. See this fine film if
you can!

The
disappointment was the size of the audience (approx 25) for this free 4
pm Saturday screening. I only recognised one person from the Dublin
activist scene and didn't detect any young Australian backpacker types.
(I saw a lot of them in the Outback Pub last night for the screening of
the third State of Origin Rugby League telecast!)
Not sure if this reflects on the passive racism of the young Aussie
backpackers, disengagement of Irish activists who share a common history
with the largest group of aboriginal artists to assemble in Dublin or
poor promotion of the event.

The
gig in the evening was excellent. Obviously a significant moment in the
life of Australian muso Shane Howard (Goanna) and those indigineous
Australians who had accompanied him to his spiritual homeland. Archie
Roach and Ruby Hunter were brilliant making the connections between
Irish and Aboriginal history...their songs were great. Mary Black,
Steve Cooney and other Irish musicians were also wonderful.

Interview with Peter Postleaite on the film "Liyarn Ngarin" liran Nagarin

http://screenwise.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-pete-postlethwaite.html

YOUTUBE -Archie Roach "Took the Chldren Away" & "Walking into Doors"

Archie Roach "Took the Children Away"
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ush_mailm&ei=UTF-8&p=...Roach

Archie Roach "Walking into Doors"
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ush_mailm&ei=UTF-8&p=...utube

Yestreday
I had the privilege of meeting up with Uncle Bob Anderson an aboriginal
elder from Brisbane and former active Trade Union organiser. It was
great to hear news of common friends and struggles and of radical
history from Brisbane before my time. (Bob snafuued one of the riot
batons being produced for the racially selected '71 Springboks Tour a
photo of which made it on to the front page of The Courier Mail exposing
what was being prepared for the protesters. I was only 11 when a State
of Emergency was declared so a racist game of Rugby could take place.
Bob gave me an aboriginal flag badge and I gave him a black shamrock
www.blackshamrock.org

I
hear Archie Roach will be playing Musgrave Park/Brisbane in mid-July
during an aboriginal cultural event get there if you can!

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