4 October 2018 – Launch : National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra


Etched in Bone was launched at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra on 4 October 2018.

Six people from Arnhem Land who feature in the film or were closely associated with it came down to Canberra: Victor Gumurrdul, Isaiah Nagurrgurrba, Connie Nayinggul et Donna Nadjamerrek from Gunbalanya and Pamela Gambarr and Farrah Gumbula from Galiwin’ku.
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Victor Gumurrdul leads the smoking ceremony while Wally Bell and Connie Nayinggul look on. Photograph: Sean Davey
To protect the spectators watching the film, Victor Gumurrdul from Gunbalanya performed a smoking ceremony. Before entering the cinema, everybody walked through the smoke and got protection. We could smell the smoke throughout the screening.
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Ngunnawal elder Uncle Wally Bell welcomes us to his country. Photograph: Sean Davey

Ngunnawal Traditional Owner Uncle Wally Bell gave a moving and powerful speech, welcoming us all to the land of his ancestors.

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Jan Müller, Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra, introduces the film. Photograph: Sean Davey
Jan Müller, CEO of the National Film and Sound Archive, opened the Launch.
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Tim Duck (audio producer), James Lane (editor and colourist), Béatrice Bijon (co-director and producer) and Martin Thomas (director and producer). Photograph: Sean Davey
Close to 200 people attended – colleagues, government and institution representatives, friends and long-time supporters of the project.

Cover picture:
Visitors from Arnhem Land join the filmmakers and other creatives on stage. Left to right: Tim Duck, Victor Gumurrdul, James Lane, Donna Nadjamerrek, Farrah Gumbula, Pamela Ganambarr, Connie Nayinggul, Béatrice Bijon, Martin Thomas and Isaiah Nagurrgurrba. Photograph: Sean Davey

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