Close to the Bone (Lifetime Access)

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In September 1852, in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, the body of sixteen-year-old shepherd James Brown was found, mutilated and castrated. The next day, a reprisal party of seventeen men pursued a flock of stolen sheep and killed a disputed number of First Nations people. Almost 170 years later, descendants of James Brown’s family return to the Flinders Ranges to reach out to people from some of the Aboriginal groups that share memories from this traumatic early period of European invasion.

Close to the Bone is a practical exercise in ‘truth and reconciliation’, engaging with culturally and politically challenging material in an effort to forge shared understandings. The film reveals diverse understandings of historic events while seeking to resolve a shared path forward. In doing so, the film is informed by Charlie Perkins’ immortal words: ‘We know we cannot live in the past, but the past lives in us.’

Running time: 28mins

Please be aware that Close to the Bone includes images and voices of First Nations people that have died.

ATOM has also produced a study guide for Close to the Bone. This study guide is available for download here.