Films from the Lililwan Project: Tristan and Marulu

FASD documentary to be screened at United Nations forum in New York, May 7-18, 2012

I’ve previously blogged about FASD prevention efforts in Fitzroy Crossing in  Western Australia and the documentary Yajillara (For more, see the post Yajilarra: the story of the women of Fitzroy Crossing and view the 22 minute documentary Yajilarra – To dream: Aboriginal Women Leading Change in Remote Australia on the George Institute website here).

The Lililwan Project is a research collaboration between Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre and Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services in Fitzroy Crossing, The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney Medical School at The University of Sydney. As part of ongoing awareness efforts, the project has produced two new documentaries: Marulu and Tristan.

(“Marulu” is a word meaning “precious, worth nurturing” in Bunaba, one of four Aboriginal language groups in the Fitzroy Valley. “Lililwan” is a Kriol word meaning “All the little ones.”)

Tristan is the story of a 12 year indigenous boy with FASD.

Tristan is being screened tonight at the Australian Consulate-General in New York. The screening will be followed by an expert discussion of the FASD research underway in Australia, led by Mr Mick Gooda, Social Justice Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission. Members of the panel will include: Ms June Oscar, CEO of Marninwarntikura Women’s Research Centre and a Chief Investigator of the Lililwan Project, Ms Marmingee Hand, carer of Tristan, Associate Professor Jane Latimer of the George Institute for Global Health Australia and a Chief Investigator of the Lililwan Project and Professor Elizabeth Elliott, of the University of Sydney Medical School and Chief Investigator of the Lililwan Project.

It will also be be shown at the 11th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues in New York,  May 7—18, 2012

Check out the news coverage of the film in this YouTube clip from WorldNewsAustralia. Read an article in the Lancet on the film here (Tristan’s story, May 5 2012)