Advice: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website and videos links contains images and voices of people who have died.
From the sand hills of Port Augusta to the bustling streets of Adelaide, Dusty Feet Mob’s young Aboriginal performers dance their way into the hearts and minds of their enraptured audiences, using the power of song and dance to tell stories of the Stolen Generation and help heal the pain of the past. As they prepare to perform their signature song, Archie Roach’s iconic ‘Took the Children Away,’ the dancers and their dedicated supporters offer creative, intergenerational and deeply emotional insights into the story of the Stolen Generation, determined to carry on Uncle Archie’s legacy – the past will not be forgotten.
Dusty Feet Mob – This Story’s True was created by Aboriginal community members in Port Augusta, in collaboration with award-winning production company Change Media, through an initiative of the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), Country Arts SA and the City of Port Augusta.
For Archie Roach, it’s the children carrying on the legacy of healing that makes him especially proud and grateful. Archie said: “In our First People’s culture we have story, song and dance. The story of the Stolen Generations is the story we hear and take in with our minds and the song enters our spirit. But dance helps us to move and weave that story and song through our body. Dusty Feet Mob help us heal holistically; through our mind - the story; through our spirit - the song and through our body – the dance.”
Dusty Feet Mob – This Story’s True is one of two documentaries, alongside The Mulka Man, created through the Port Augusta Emerging Film Development Program, a series of development and production workshops for emerging Aboriginal screen creatives held from July to October in 2019, funded and presented by the SAFC through its Aboriginal Screen Strategy, along with Country Arts SA with support from the City of Port Augusta, delivered by Change Media with additional support from the Australia Council for the Arts.
We are presenting the finished documentary to broadcasters and festivals in 2020. Find the full Media Release here.
The film has won Best Documentary at the 2020 SASA Awards. Congratulations to all involved!
The film also won Best Documentary at the 2020 International My Hero Film Festival in Los Angeles. Congratulations all around!
Dusty Feet Mob are more than just an Aboriginal dance group. They are a community that nurtures strength, confidence and dignity. They are a community that builds connection to culture, community and country. They know that storytelling through dance and song is their culture, it’s a powerful way of entering into past hurts and injustices experienced by Aboriginal families in a way that allows both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to grow in acceptance, understanding and empathy together.
An essential make-up of the group is the strong support provided by parents, grandparents and the Port Augusta Community, who take seriously the role of passing knowledge and stories down to the younger generations. Dusty Feet Mob is a powerful expression of the old and the new: Young people are not just "the leaders of tomorrow", they are leaders of today. Dusty Feet Mob provides opportunities for young people to learn about themselves and develop leadership skills for life.
SAFC Associate Executive, Production and Development Nara Wilson, who facilitated the program, said: “Through the SAFC’s regular workshops and initiatives over the last few years, Port Augusta has become a real hub of activity in SA for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers, with practitioners coming from all over the state to learn new skills and develop their craft. We are proud to highlight Indigenous voices, and facilitate Indigenous storytelling through these programs.”
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said: “These documentaries not only show what incredible emerging screen talent there is in South Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but they highlight the importance of the SAFC’s Aboriginal Screen Strategy in developing and supporting Indigenous screen practitioners, and bringing their stories and voices to the fore. I congratulate the filmmakers on their success.”
Samantha Yates, Country Arts SA’s Cultural Programming Manager, Aboriginal and Reconciliation Programs said: “Opportunities for professional Aboriginal film development in regional areas are essential. Having a platform to share and broaden awareness gives voice to many untold stories. Dusty Feet Mob – This Story’s True is an incredible example of how a short film can educate the general public and create deeper compassion for the stolen generations.”
Change Media acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land in Australia on which this program was filmed.
Credits:
Production Company: Tallstoreez Productionz Pty Ltd t/as Change Media
Writers: Paul Tanner, Piri Eddy, Johanis Lyons-Reid, Carl Kuddell, Steven Fatt-Lang, Marika Davies, Lyall Campbell-Ware, Bonita Leahy, Bessy-May Taylor-Haseldine, Denise Champion, Donny McKenzie, Roxanne Lawrie
Directors: Johanis Lyons-Reid and Paul Tanner
Producers/ mentor: Carl Kuddell and Jen Lyons-Reid
Associate Producer: Paul Tanner
Director of Photography/ mentor: Johanis Lyons-Reid
Camera Operators: Steven Fatt-Lang, Marika Davies, Lyall Campbell-Ware, Paul Tanner
Sound Recordist/ mentor: Piri Eddy
Sound operators: Steven Fatt-Lang, Marika Davies, Lyall Campbell-Ware
Editor: Johanis Lyons-Reid
Composer and Sound Mix: Justin Pounsett
Original song: Archie Roach ‘Took The Children Away’
BTS Stills Photographer: Carl Kuddell
Archival Stills: Paul Tanner
Dusty Feet Mob interviews:
Wanita Calyun – Artistic Director/ Choreographer, Dusty Feet Mob
Paul Tanner – Manager, Dusty Feet Mob
Maria Anderson – Chairperson Dusty Feet Mob, Wanita’s mother
Justin Mogridge – Wanita’s father
Archie Roach – Singer, ‘Took The Children Away’
Sarcha Taylor - Dusty Feet Mob member
Tyeisha Taylor - Dusty Feet Mob member
Micah Buckskin - Dusty Feet Mob member
Marika Garlett - Dusty Feet Mob member
Josh Saunders - Dusty Feet Mob member
Dusty Feet Mob dancers:
Wanita Calyun, Tyrone Taylor, Sarcha Taylor, Tyeisha Taylor, Josh Saunders, Shalana Cox, Jakeem Cox , Tyree Cox, Tia Buckskin, Laila Buckskin, Micah Buckskin, Mareeka Garlett, Twyla Stuart, Rikki-Lee Bodger
Thanks to:
Archie Roach and Jill Shelton
Dusty Feet Mob crew and supporters
Mii Pudanthi festival - Angelena Harradine
Mushroom Music – Lisa Businovski
Warner Music Australia – Rose Sejean
Port Augusta Car Club - Mark Taylor
City of Port Augusta – Maria Anderson
Country Arts SA – Sam Yates and Josh Barbo
South Australian Film Corporation – Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin and Nara Wilson
DEVELOPED AND FINANCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILM CORPORATION
and
Country Arts SA
The City of Port Augusta
Australia Council for the Arts
©2019 Change Media, Dusty Feet Mob and the City of Port Augusta