Yurlu | Country: Healing 'Poison Country' Will be Released in Cinemas Nationally on November 13
Yurlu | Country: Healing 'Poison Country' will be released in cinemas nationally on November 13, following sold out screenings at Sydney International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Cinefest Oz Film Festival and Darwin International Film Festival. It will screen at Byron Bay Film Festival next month. Yurlu | Country also picked up the Best Festival Category Award: The Edge of Impact at the 20th Doc Edge Festival Awards at its International Premiere in New Zealand.
Yurlu | Country is an 82-minute documentary feature from Australian director Yaara Bou Melhem which was co-created with Banjima Elder Maitland Parker and immerses us in his final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the worst contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Written and Executive Produced by Maitland Parker, Yurlu | Country delves into the devastating impact of asbestos mining in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Parker called his homeland 'Poison Country', a name reflecting the toxic legacy of blue asbestos mines in Wittenoom, WA which closed almost 60 years ago but left behind millions of tonnes of toxic waste laced with deadly asbestos fibres.
This is Australia's largely unknown Chernobyl-scale disaster - where a sacrifice zone of 46,840 hectares on Banjima Country cuts off traditional owners from their Native Title lands.
Set against the breathtaking yet contaminated landscapes of the Pilbara, the film highlights Parker's efforts to heal his homeland while grappling with his own battle with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. From the campfire to his hospital bedside, Yurlu | Country follows Maitland's battle for justice and the environment, and his unbreakable bond with Country.
The Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation has begun a legal campaign to clean up Wittenoom, led by Slater and Gordan. They are currently in the litigation process.
The feature documentary is produced by Illuminate Films with Yaara Bou Melhem also Writing and Producing, James Saunders serving as Co-producer, Tom Bannigan ACS as Co-producer & Cinematographer and Chris Kamen as Executive Producer.
Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Martidja Banyjima, with support from Screen NSW and Shark Island Foundation.
Yurlu | Country is an 82-minute documentary feature from Australian director Yaara Bou Melhem which was co-created with Banjima Elder Maitland Parker and immerses us in his final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the worst contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Written and Executive Produced by Maitland Parker, Yurlu | Country delves into the devastating impact of asbestos mining in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Parker called his homeland 'Poison Country', a name reflecting the toxic legacy of blue asbestos mines in Wittenoom, WA which closed almost 60 years ago but left behind millions of tonnes of toxic waste laced with deadly asbestos fibres.
This is Australia's largely unknown Chernobyl-scale disaster - where a sacrifice zone of 46,840 hectares on Banjima Country cuts off traditional owners from their Native Title lands.
Set against the breathtaking yet contaminated landscapes of the Pilbara, the film highlights Parker's efforts to heal his homeland while grappling with his own battle with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. From the campfire to his hospital bedside, Yurlu | Country follows Maitland's battle for justice and the environment, and his unbreakable bond with Country.
The Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation has begun a legal campaign to clean up Wittenoom, led by Slater and Gordan. They are currently in the litigation process.
The feature documentary is produced by Illuminate Films with Yaara Bou Melhem also Writing and Producing, James Saunders serving as Co-producer, Tom Bannigan ACS as Co-producer & Cinematographer and Chris Kamen as Executive Producer.
Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Martidja Banyjima, with support from Screen NSW and Shark Island Foundation.
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