Solstice

20 October, 6:15pm | Cinema Nova, Melbourne

When 15 year-old Mary Baker died by suicide her parents embarked on a journey to shine a light on the darkest night of their lives.

‘Solstice’ is a hopeful, determined and positive story of change that can come out of a most heartbreaking tragedy. Beginning with the story of Mary’s parents, Annette and Stuart Baker, the film expands out to journey through Australia and across the globe documenting the stories of those who are daily on the frontline in the battle for better mental health care – the survivors of suicide.

This film bravely steps into the gaping hole left when a person dies by suicide to begin conversations, unite communities and ignite positive change.

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of experts for a Q&A discussion. Guests to be announced shortly!

Duty of Care: The Climate Trials (2022)

23 October, 6:30pm | Palace Electric, Canberra

Duty of Care tells the exclusive, inside story of Roger Cox, the first and only lawyer to have successfully sued a government and an oil giant in landmark court cases that established catastrophic climate change can be made illegal. Roger’s ground-breaking cases against the Dutch government and oil giant Royal Dutch Shell established that those in power owe a duty of care to citizens to avoid catastrophic climate change, stunning legal experts and sending shockwaves through parliaments and corporate boardrooms around the world.

With echoes of the lawsuits against Big Tobacco, this inspirational documentary gives a behind-the-scenes experience of the David versus Goliath battle as one Dutch property lawyer turned litigation maverick takes on powerful states and the world’s largest oil company in the court room drama of our lifetimes.

With interviews from experts and activists leading the wave of international climate litigations triggered by Roger’s successes, the film presents a fresh and inspiring story about, and for, future generations of climate leaders, as Lady Justice takes over where politicians and profit makers have obstructed and delayed.

Can Roger, now one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 people, and the pioneers of climate litigation succeed before it’s too late?

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of experts for a Q&A discussion. Guests to be announced shortly!

Erasmus in Gaza

25 October, 6:00pm | Powerhouse Theatre, Sydney

Riccardo, a final-year medical student in Italy, is going on Erasmus: to the besieged Gaza Strip.

His friends are concerned, but he is determined as he wants to train as a trauma surgeon and is writing his thesis on explosive bullet wounds. Entering Gaza is not simple, he needs permission from three different authorities: the Israeli army, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Upon arrival at the Islamic University, he is welcomed by the Chancellor and interviewed by the local and international media. Riccardo starts to feel the pressure: his experience will determine the success of the exchange programme. The threat of war doesn’t help and he starts suffering panic attacks; luckily, his new friendships with young Gazans help him handle his anxiety.

In Erasmus in Gaza we accompany Riccardo on his journey into adulthood, a journey of personal struggle that tests whether or not he truly has the strength to pursue his dreams.

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of experts for a Q&A discussion. Guests to be announced shortly!

Soeurs de combat / Sisters in arms

27 October, 6:00pm | Palace Theatre, Perth

In the wake of Greta Thunberg, the youth has been fighting for several months to save our planet. Leading the marches, on the front pages of the media as well as on social networks, young women have become, sometimes unintentionally, the key figures of this movement. Who are these women? Why are they so cheered and criticized at the same time?

To better understanding of the commitment of Anuna and Adelaide (Belgium), Luisa (Germany), Lena (France), Leah (Uganda) and Artemisia (Brazil), we decided to follow them, but also to compare their struggle with that of another extraordinary woman who preceded them: Julia Butterfly. Twenty years ago, after spending 738 days on top of a majestic sequoia, this young American activist managed to save a thousand-year-old forest from being cut down.

The film tells the story of the journey of these committed young women, each in their own way, but all driven by a unique energy, these “sisters in arms” tell their doubts and their desire.

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of experts for a Q&A discussion. Guests to be announced shortly!

The Last Daughter

1 November, 7:00pm | Melbourne Museum Theatre

Brenda’s first memories were of growing up in a loving white foster family, before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family.

Decades later, she feels disconnected from both halves of her life. But the traumas of her past do not lie quietly buried. So, she goes searching for the foster family with whom she had lost all contact.

Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies, and the possibility for deeper connections to family and culture. The Last Daughter is a documentary about Brenda’s journey to unearth the truth about her past, and to reconcile the two sides of her family.

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of experts for a Q&A discussion. Guests to be announced shortly!