DIRECTED by a local Aboriginal man, Mystery Road, is a movie about an Indigenous detective fighting for justice – and it’s the perfect film to show for Reconciliation Week.
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Tamworth residents can get free tickets to the movie’s screening tonight at Forum 6 Cinema, courtesy of Tamworth Regional Council, the National Film and Sound Archive’s Black Screen and Bunya Productions.
The film starts at 6pm, with Tamworth-raised director Ivan Sen speaking to the audience beforehand.
Mr Sen said Mystery Road was “a good expression of reconciliation to a certain degree”.
“It’s about an Indigenous detective working between Indigenous and the non-Indigenous communities and in doing that he has to bring the two worlds together,” Mr Sen said.
He hopes the film “helps bring the community together”, and adds to Tamworth’s local reconciliation efforts.
“It doesn’t seem to be as separated as it used to be and there are more people blended throughout the town,” he said.
Despite being really busy with the debut of the film’s sequel, Gold Stone, at next week’s Sydney Film Festival, Mr Sen said he made a special effort to come back to Tamworth for the event.
“I grew up in Tamworth and it’s where I fell in love with the cinema,” he said.
“The experiences I had at the Regent Cinema are some of the most positive memories I have and really got me into cinema. I don’t know if I would have got into it if it was another cinema.”
Tamworth Regional Council’s cultural services officer, Andrea Bruno, said she couldn’t believe her luck when Mr Sen agreed to come to the screening.
“What impresses me about his work is his ability to tell the story of Indigenous Australian life, and that’s very important for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities to understand Aboriginal culture,” Ms Bruno said.
“Mystery Road is a great film for Reconciliation Week, because it deals with the issues of dispossession and also shows that reconciliation has to mean a mutual commitment from both sides.”
Contact Forum 6 Cinema on 6766 3707 for more information on tickets.