Of Boys and Men: Masculinity, Fatherhood and Cultural Identity in 'Zach's Ceremony'

In Aaron Petersen's moving documentary, we watch as a teenager comes of age and confronts the difficulties of belonging to both mainstream and Indigenous Australia. Beyond this, the film is significant for its authenticity in capturing the relationship between a father and a son, as well as for the way it presents audiences with rare glimpses of sacred Aboriginal ritual and custom, writes Hanna Schenkel.

Additional keywords: Zachariah Doomadgee, Alec, Gangalidda, Waanyi, Garawa, Far North Queensland, Indigenous, maturity, adolescence, adulthood, tradition.