Summary
In a practice known as ‘blackbirding’, up to 60,000 Pacific islanders were either kidnapped or forced into indentured servitude to work on Queensland sugar cane plantations between 1863 and 1904. Treated as slaves under appalling conditions, this short narrative film depicts the plight of a brother and sister kidnapped from the Solomon Islands and forced to work on a Queensland plantation under a brutal Australian overseer. They would never see their families or homeland again. Blackbird was made by a descendant of the Pacific Islander-Australian community.
Special Notes/Achievements
- St Kilda Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 2017.
- 14th FIFO International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival, Tahiti, 2017
- New Zealand International Film Festival, Auckland, New Zealand, 2016
- Sydney Indie Film Festival, 2017. Winner: Best Drama Film, Winner: Best Female Lead.
- Best of the Fest Award, Pasifika Film Festival, Sydney 2016.
- People’s Choice Award, Best Short Film, Maoriland Film Festival, New Zealand. [1]
[1] Ronin Films (n.d.), Blackbird [website], viewed Jan 20, 2023 <https://www.roninfilms.com.au/feature/15253/blackbird.html>
Author: J Bird, 2023