Pack your kitbags, this week on Cozy Quilt Cinema, we’re heading down under to dust off Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic, Australia. Starring Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley and Hugh Jackman as the rugged "Drover," this film is a cinematic patchwork quilt, stitching together a Western, a wartime drama, and a sweeping romance.
It’s an emotional discussion about the logistics of that 1,500-head cattle drive, the dizzying CGI vistas, and the film’s portrayal of the Stolen Generations. Does this three-hour spectacle provide the warmth of a well-loved blanket, or is it a few too many genres stitched together? Join us as we apply our emotional and analytical lens to the history, performances, and maximalist ambition of this Australian odyssey.
We talk at length about the Stolen Generations, to learn more please follow the link and thank you, AIATSIS for your work and efforts. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/stolen-generations
At the end of the episode, rather than a clip of the movie, we provide the audio archive of then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivering the National Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples. In particular, it included an apology to the Stolen Generations. The Apology is now considered a defining moment in Australian history.