Kicking the festival off, the annual Tanderrum will take place in Federation Square. The traditional ceremony sees the meeting of five clans of the Kulin Nation: Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung and an invitation to join them on this land.
Esteemed Australian writer and chronicler, Clinton Walker, will have his ground-breaking book, film and album Buried Country brought to life by an extensive cast of local singers and songwriters including the likes of iconic elders Roger Knox, Auriel Andrew and L.J Hill and emerging younger artists Leah Flanagan, Luke Peacock and James Henry.
Collisions sees a unforgettable experience endured by Aboriginal elder Nyarri Morgan encapsulated in a powerful cinematic showcase. Morgan’s first contact with Western culture came when he witnessed an atomic explosion in the South Australian desert. Acclaimed Australian filmmaker, Lynette Wallworth celebrates this phenomenon in an immersive virtual experience at ACMI.
Other features of the program includes the return of the Melbourne Art Trams for the fourth year running as well as DANCEHOUSE’s biennial Dance Territories program. Indigenous Australians Sarah-Jane Norman joins Algerian-French choreographer Nacera Belaza for an incisive duet, questioning the boundaries of body and place.
