PRESS RELEASE: Melbourne premiere of Australian documentary, Where The Water Starts
MELBOURNE PREMIERE SCREENING OF
WHERE THE WATER STARTS showing at
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Cinema Nova Vic Saturday 23rd July 5pm
Investigates the destruction of the fragile alpine ecology of Australia’s Snowy Mountains
“This environment is meant to be pristine, and we can no longer ignore the damage being done by these feral animals. It is the responsibility of all Australians to accept this land as your heritage, caring for it and protecting it as your culture.” – Richard Swain, Indigenous Ambassador, Invasive Species Council*
The film is attracting like minded people who are concerned about all natural rivers in Australia and restoring them to full health.
Where The Water Starts, reveals the unique threats to the fragile alpine ecology of Australia’s Snowy Mountains, featuring the voices of Indigenous and non-Indigenous community leaders. They’re concerned about the devastating environmental challenges facing the headwaters of 3 iconic rivers in this precious region, and what must be done to protect it.
The film takes the audience on a discovery tour of the Snowy Mountains from perspectives rarely heard. Richard Swain, a Wiradjuri descendant who was born in Cooma and raised in the high country, is a strong, passionate voice in the film. Having witnessed the destruction of the environment by hard-hoofed animals, he has decided to speak out on this controversial issue, despite the acrimony that comes with it.
Over generations, the landscape has been degraded to the point where 34 species of native plants and animals are now under threat. Hard-hoofed animals, particularly horses which are protected in Kosciuszko National Park are trampling the unique habitats of these threatened species and endangering the viability of the headwaters of the iconic Snowy, Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers. The massive bushfires of 2019-2020 burned vast swathes of Kosciuszko National Park, highlighting the context of climate change.
Where The Water Starts highlights the voices of a range of respected Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, giving insight into the vital ecological, cultural and historical context of the themes in the film. These different perspectives come together to illustrate that the best of Aboriginal connection and the best of regenerative science can work together for a better future for the mountains and the planet.
“It’s at tipping point now, if you get the horses off and do a little bit of remediation, this will recover..”
Richard Swain
Where The Water Starts promotes national discussions about the protection of rivers and their headwaters.
Links for Where the Water Starts:
Twitter @FrontyardFilms_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wherethewaterstarts
MDFF: https://www.mdff.org.au/films/where-the-water-starts
Cinema Nova tickets: https://www.cinemanova.com.au/films/mdff-where-the-water-starts
Duration: 70 minutes | Classification: PG
MEDIA CONTACT: Richard Swain and the filmmakers, Mandy King & Fabio Cavadini are available for interviews. Contact Mandy King, Frontyard Films, [email protected] ph: 0410 633 503.
* Invasive Species Council is the host organisation for Reclaim Kosci which aims to protect the exceptional natural heritage values of Kosciusko National Park. https://reclaimkosci.org.au
Frontyard Films is the partnership of Amanda King, an Australian filmmaker who has been producing documentaries since the late 1980's. Her interests range from contemporary issues such as the environment, indigenous rights and independence struggles, through to the arts and labour history. She works closely with her partner, Co-Producer and Cinematographer Fabio Cavadini, and they have done for over three decades. They have produced a number of documentaries around stories based in the Pacific – in Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville - which have shown on Australian broadcast networks as well as to international audiences. Titles include Time To Draw The Line, Colour Change, An Evergreen Island and the arts documentary, A Thousand Different Angles. In 2018 they co-produced, filmed and edited BUWARRALA ARYAH Journey West with director, Gadrian Jarwijalmar Hoosan from the Borroloola community. In 2019, their documentary The Great Strike 1917 screened at the Antenna International Documentary Film Festival and in 2020, their film Clement Meadmore screened at the Fine Arts Film Festival in LA. Their most recent independently produced documentary, WHERE THE WATER STARTS has screened in the US, Italy and acros New South Wales.