The law is in the land

The mini-symposium also includes the screening of Veins of the Country– A film on the vitality of a Kimberley River by Mervyn Street and Sarah Laborde. This is a 5-minute film about the Fitzroy River as it flows through the countries of several language groups in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. In the film, Mervyn uses his art and storytelling ability to talk about the rhythms of water and life in the catchment, and the social connections mediated by river flows.

The screening of the multi-award winning film ‘Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth’ by Sandig and Black on February 13th is a satellite event open to the public and an official introduction to the themes of this one-day symposium.

The award-winning film "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" was beautifully filmed over the years. It combines the intimate accounts and the political presence of the Maya using exquisite imagery, music and dreamlike sequences. 

The film bridges the gap between the ancient Mayan creation myth, the Popol Vuh and the crises of today, from the haunting ruins of a fallen civilization to the ceremonies of today’s Maya, from their spirituality to their spirit of resistance.

Where the west has focused on the end of the world, they understand their calendar not as an inevitable prophecy, but as the closing of a circle, as a way to a new beginning. A moving and haunting film with a deep respect for what is Indigenous. Their call is not just for control over their own lives. It is a last call to save the Earth.

This event was held at the University of Sydney on Friday 15 February 2019.

Header image: Boab (aka Baobab tree) trees at sunset in the Kimberley town of Derby' via Shutterstoc, ID: 1037495359.