Documentary Australia Foundation

Crossing The Line

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Synopsis

When two young, non-indigenous medical students go to work in a remote Aboriginal community, their professional precepts and personal ideas are deeply challenged.

We're often told by broadcasters that films dealing with complex and difficult issues such as Aboriginal health are plagued by an audience 'turn-off' factor. CROSSING THE LINE seeks to circumvent this problem by inviting the mostly non-indigenous audience to engage with the two main characters on a journey.

Amy and Paul are non-indigenous 4th year medical students from Tasmania who volunteer for eight weeks placement on Mornington island, a remote Aboriginal community in northern Queensland. They're representative of most of us who may have never had Aboriginal friends, who have never been to a remote community, who think something should be done about indigenous health but aren't sure what can be done.

In the format of an intimate, observational documentary, this film explores issues that affect all of us who seek to engage somehow, to make a difference or to better understand the realities of indigenous health and the relationships between black and white Australians.

To counter the argument that people aren't interested in indigenous issues and that documentaries on Aboriginal people don't rate, director Kaye Harrison deliberately chose two middle class white students to film. Amy and Paul are engaging, non-threatening vehicles of discovery for the audience. They provide accessibility to the vexing issues surrounding indigenous health. The power of this film lies in the impact the indigenous community has on the students and therefore the impact it will have on the audience.

The 'fly-on-the-wall' style of the documentary ensures a powerful immediacy as the camera captures the broad range of emotional responses experienced by the students as well as witnessing life in a remote indigenous community. The unimposing style of the camera work also allows the documentary to capture the developing intimacy between the students and particular community members.

Setting up the film entailed a rigorous ethical process by the director. She self-financed three research trips to achieve access to the Aboriginal community, gain trust and agreement on protocols, which were strictly adhered to at all stages of production. As a result, all of the key characters fully endorse the final outcome.

Impact

The film has screened in festivals in Australia, the USA, Canada, India and Tahiti. It has been invited to international conferences and won awards, including 'Best Documentary – Social and Political Issues' in the Australian Teachers of Media Awards and was a finalist in two other categories.

The film continues to have a dynamic life beyond television, having been included in the curricula of many organisations across Australia, used in conferences on Rural and Remote Health Issues and purchased by university and college libraries.

The strongest evidence that it has resonated with its target audiences is its use by both mainstream and Indigenous organisations to expose black and white students and health professionals to issues of working with aboriginal people in remote areas. The film triggers lively, complex discussions. An accompanying Study Guide enables teachers and lecturers to easily stimulate activities and further research.

The filmmakers believe that this film is making a difference and we acknowledge the support of ABCTV, the Australian Film Commission and the NSW Film and Television Office in funding it.

Significantly, an individual philanthropist invested $80,000 to enable the film to be made to a higher standard than otherwise may have been possible. It allowed the filmmakers to be properly paid, having invested their own time and money in the research and filming stages. Why did he invest the $80,000 with only a tax deduction as reward? He believes the potential impact of the film on the issues involved to be sufficient reason to support this and other documentaries dealing with significant social issues.

Director's comment - 'I'm always struck by the long lists of organisations on the credits of American documentaries and lament the fact that in Australia, we have no equivalents. I've approached a number of key organisations and been excluded on the grounds of not being a registered charity or for similar legal reasons.

The Australian documentary filmmaking community needs the support of Australian philanthropic individuals and organisations to assist us to continue to bring vital issues of national significance to the attention of television and educational audiences. CROSSING THE LINE is just one film that would have benefited if we had had access to a broader range of funding sources.'

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