Tarnanthi - Her Name is Nanny Nellie - Adelaide Film Festival world premiere

One hundred years ago, in 1925, an Australian census declared Aboriginal people a ‘dying race’. The Australian Museum commissioned three statues of ‘full blood’ Aboriginal people: a child, a man and a woman, exhibited as nameless objects to be studied.

The woman was Nellie Walker, Irene Walker’s great-grandmother and director Daniel King’s great-great-grandmother. Now Irene is on a journey to retrace Nellie’s life and understand her times. But first she must find the other statues’ descendants and tell them of their ancestors’ statues. In this way Irene will honour these ancestors.

This is a timely story by one of Australia’s most exciting directors, Ngarigo and Awabakal man Daniel King, documenting his mother’s search. It is a profound personal window on a national story, with global consequences for colonial museum collections everywhere.

Cast

Irene Ridgeway
Dean Freeman
Laura McBride
Dr Mariko Smith
Deborah Beck

Writer / Director

Daniel King

Producers

Charlotte Seymour, Ben Pederick, Andrew Arbuthnot

Cinematographer

Kathryn Milliss ACS

Editor

Johanna Scott

Music Composer

Claire Deak

Access

Wheelchair accessible, accessible toilets

Links

Website: adelaidefilmfestival.org/event/her-name-is-nanny-nellie/
Facebook: @AFFestival
Instagram: @AdlFilmFest