Ablaze (2021)
The true story of the first Aboriginal filmmaker William Bill Onus. Ablaze tells the story of Bill Onus, a Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri man from Victoria, a truly heroic cultural and political figure who revived his peopleʼs culture in the 1940s and ignited a civil rights movement that would, against enormous odds, change the course of history. Through rare archival footage, state-of-the-art animation, vividly created digital motion graphics and eye-witness accounts, Ablaze is the compelling tale – part detective story, part contemporary opera – of how Bill and supporters brilliantly orchestrated their campaign for equality through performance, entertainment, film and sheer audacity outsmarted mighty forces seeking to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, and communities.
Primary Title
- Ablaze
Date Broadcast
- Monday 2 October 2023
Release Year
- 2021
Start Time
- 20 : 30
Finish Time
- 22 : 00
Duration
- 90:00
Channel
- Whakaata Māori
Broadcaster
- Whakaata Māori
Programme Description
- The true story of the first Aboriginal filmmaker William Bill Onus. Ablaze tells the story of Bill Onus, a Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri man from Victoria, a truly heroic cultural and political figure who revived his peopleʼs culture in the 1940s and ignited a civil rights movement that would, against enormous odds, change the course of history. Through rare archival footage, state-of-the-art animation, vividly created digital motion graphics and eye-witness accounts, Ablaze is the compelling tale – part detective story, part contemporary opera – of how Bill and supporters brilliantly orchestrated their campaign for equality through performance, entertainment, film and sheer audacity outsmarted mighty forces seeking to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, and communities.
Classification
- PGR
Owning Collection
- TV & Radio
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Captions
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Subjects
- Aboriginal Australians--Legal status, laws, etc.
- Australia--Race relations--20th century
- Indigenous peoples--Civil rights--Australia
- Motion picture producers and directors--Biography
- Motion pictures--Production and direction--Biography
- Onus, Bill, 1906-1968
- Documentary films--Australia
Genres
- Biography
- Documentary
Contributors
- Tiriki Onus (Director)
- Tiriki Onus (Writer)
- Alec Morgan (Director)
- Alec Morgan (Writer)
- Tiriki Onus (Presenter)
- Bill Onus (Subject)
- Tom Zubrycki (Producer)
- Kathryn Millis (Cinematographer)
- Rick Kickbush (Cinematographer)
- Tony Stevens (Editor)
- Jen Anderson (Composer)
- Documentary Australia Foundation (Funder)
- Film Victoria (Funder)
- Screen Australia (Funder)
- JOTZ Productions (Production Unit)
Subjects
- Aboriginal Australians--Legal status, laws, etc.
- Australia--Race relations--20th century
- Indigenous peoples--Civil rights--Australia
- Motion picture producers and directors--Biography
- Motion pictures--Production and direction--Biography
- Onus, Bill, 1906-1968
- Documentary films--Australia