Join us for the first in a brand-new series of documentary screenings over three days in Autumn, each day linked with a social theme.

The screenings will be hosted by local film academic Dr Damien Spiccia, with a lively post-film discussion following each documentary. Films are provided by Kanopy. 

About Damien

Dr Damien Spiccia is an award-winning writer and academic with a passion for sharing the world of film with audiences. He teaches film, hosts public discussions, and contributes to publications such as FilmInk and Senses of Cinema.

Celebrating Culture

Film one: 27 minutes

Ochre and Ink (2011) director James Bradley

Ochre and Ink follows artist Zhou Xiaoping and his 23-year collaboration with Aboriginal artists in outback Australia. Trained in traditional Chinese brush painting, Xiaoping arrived in Australia in 1988 and, drawn to the outback, was welcomed into Aboriginal communities where he learned to paint with ochre on bark. The film builds toward a major exhibition in Beijing exploring the 300-year-old trepang trade between the Aboriginal people of northern Australia, via Macassan traders, and China. After the death of his close collaborator Johnny Bulunbulun, Johnny’s family travels to Beijing to honour him at the exhibition opening, and Xiaoping later introduces his Aboriginal friends to the cultural life of the city.

Film two: 1 hour, 21 minutes

The Last Goldfish: Uncovering a Family’s History of Forced Migration (2017) director Su Goldfish

A daughter’s search for her lost family spans Australia, Trinidad, and WWII Germany. Through archival images, Su Goldfish’s autobiographical documentary explores the lasting impact of forced migration.

When filmmaker Su Goldfish uncovers her father Manfred’s suppressed refugee past, she also discovers her own sense of belonging. Raised in Trinidad and later moving to Australia after a military coup, Su comes to understand her Jewish heritage, find community in Sydney’s queer scene, and connect with half-siblings across the world. A gripping, deeply moving journey of identity and home.