Protected (Film)
Encyclopedia
Protected is a 1975
documentary film
, narrated by Don Brady and Sydney born producer Robert Hughes
. The film was directed
by Alessandro Cavadini. It was an exposé of the ill-treatment of Aboriginal workers by white men. The details of what life was like for Indigenous Australians on Palm Island
became more widely known when Allessandro Cavadini and Carolyn Strachan recreated the strike in 1957 by hundreds of the Island’s residents even though there was huge resistance from local authorities.
Some 22 years later in 2007, Aboriginal activist, and convicted Palm Island rioter Lex Wotton presented a screening of the film to the Film Fanatics society at Petersham Bowling Club. He recalled watching the film as a schoolboy and seeing his father on film. He said that screening opened his eyes to the way "things were different on Palm". He also said "There are numerous things that people haven't documented but this [film] was one thing that brought what was happening to the indigenous people to the attention of the wider community.
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, narrated by Don Brady and Sydney born producer Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes (critic)
Robert Studley Forrest Hughes, AO is an Australian-born art critic, writer and television documentary maker who has resided in New York since 1970.-Early life:...
. The film was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Alessandro Cavadini. It was an exposé of the ill-treatment of Aboriginal workers by white men. The details of what life was like for Indigenous Australians on Palm Island
Palm Island, Queensland
Palm Island is an Aboriginal community located on Great Palm Island, also called by the Aboriginal name "Bwgcolman", an island on the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland, Australia The settlement is also known by a variety of other names including "the Mission", Palm Island Settlement or Palm...
became more widely known when Allessandro Cavadini and Carolyn Strachan recreated the strike in 1957 by hundreds of the Island’s residents even though there was huge resistance from local authorities.
Some 22 years later in 2007, Aboriginal activist, and convicted Palm Island rioter Lex Wotton presented a screening of the film to the Film Fanatics society at Petersham Bowling Club. He recalled watching the film as a schoolboy and seeing his father on film. He said that screening opened his eyes to the way "things were different on Palm". He also said "There are numerous things that people haven't documented but this [film] was one thing that brought what was happening to the indigenous people to the attention of the wider community.