An award-winning documentary about Warlpiri artist Audrey Napanangka has been screened at Parliament House this week.
Hosted by Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, the special event screening of Audrey Napanangka was attended by Napanangka herself, who used the opportunity to share her thoughts on the importance of kinship, reconciliation, family support and the unjust incarceration of First Nations people.
Directed by Australian director and producer Penelope McDonald, the 2023 documentary follows Napanangka and her Sicilian partner, Santo Giardin, who have spent the past 38 years together, fostering children within Napanangka’s family and other other Indigenous children seeking safety and shelter.
At the centre of Napanangka’s caregiving is her belief that family and cultural roots are the most important aspects to living.
“We took the film to Parliament House to talk to politicians about ways things could be better for our families in the future,” she said on Tuesday night.
The documentary, which has been shown at various film festivals across Australia including Adelidade Film Festival, CinefestOZ, Sydney Film Festival and Brisbane International Film Festival, includes intimate footage of Napanangka and Giardina’s life in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Yuendumu and Warlpiri country Mount Theo, tracing their day-to-day lives over a decade.
McDonald described making the documentary as “a great privilege”.
“This is a story of love, courage, and resilience, of an extraordinary family, recorded over a decade, across generations,” she said. “I thank Audrey and her family immensely for opening their home and sharing their lives. This story from the centre, the beating heart of Australia, is more important and relevant to us now than ever.”
McDonald won Best Direction in a Feature Documentary at the Cyprus AEH Film Festival last month, where the judges said: “[the film] goes beyond traditional storytelling, offering a sensitive look into identity and cultural heritage. With a directorial style marked by patience and creativity, the filmmaker transformed simple, everyday moments into deeply impactful scenes.”
At the Kastellorizo Beyond Borders Documentary Film Festival in Greece last year, the documentary was awarded the top jury prize. The judges described the film as “touching”, adding: “You will not forget Audrey Napanangka…You will not forget Audrey’s face, her strength, her warmth – as you will not forget her Sicilian partner Santo and at least two of the more than 30 children that Audrey Napanangka raised.”
The filmmakers describe the documentary as an example of truth-telling, and hope it can be part of a campaign to address the “shameful” incarceration rate of First Nations Australians and the need for more support for families to keep their children.
Audrey Napanangka is currently available to view on SBS on Demand.