The Art of Incarceration, a feature documentary looking at the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the prison system, will be released exclusively on Netflix globally on July 3.
Narrated by Uncle Jack Charles (Boonwurring Dja Dja Wurrung), the film will headline Netflix’s NAIDOC Week collection.
Seen through the eyes of Indigenous prisoners at Victoria’s Fulham Correctional Centre, The Art of Incarceration explores how art and culture can empower First Nations people to transcend unjust cycles of imprisonment.
The film covers a range of perspectives from current and past inmates, including that of Robby Wirramanda (Wergaia), a former champion fighter who reconnected with his passion for art during his six and a half year sentence for drug trafficking. Robby is a symbol of strength and hope to many inmates due to his success as an artist/singer/songwriter, his work as a mentor and his unrelenting dedication to culture, community and family.
Christopher Austin (Gunditjmara Keeray-Woorroong), has been in a cycle of incarceration for 37 years, having been made a ward of the state at the age of 12 for being ‘uncontrollable’. The injustices of Australia’s colonial history are inextricably seen in Christopher’s narrative. Through his new direction as an artist and his desire to create a lasting connection with his young daughter, Christopher is attempting to forge a better future.
The film is directed by Alex Siddons, written by Christopher Austin, Robby Wirramanda and Siddons, and produced by Kylie Pascoe and Siddons. The original score was created by Theo McMahon (Bundjalung).