FILM OVERVIEW

In 1883, a significant gathering of First Nations People took place at the summit of a mountain near Bega, located on the NSW Far South Coast of Australia. The purpose of this gathering was to conduct a men's initiation ceremony, which was recorded by one of the earliest anthropologists in the world. This was the first and only time such a ceremony was documented, and the resulting publications played a pivotal role in shaping our early comprehension of Aboriginal Australia. Despite being performed for thousands of years, this ceremony, known as a 'Kuringal,' was the last grand-scale and extravagant performance of its kind. Following this event, colonial authorities, determined to suppress First Nations culture in Australia, drove these ceremonies underground. However, The Yuin People kept these ceremonies alive and continued to practice them until the present day. This film narrates this story and elucidates the continuing significance of these ceremonies in the present day for First Nations People. The film is co-directed by Yuin Elder Warren Foster Sr and film makers from Bottlebrush Media, Stuart Cohen and Murray Vanderveer, and was commissioned by NSW South East Local Land Services.