Here is a book with a grand vision for global health.  Join discussion on the Forum, and check out more Books and Films.

Watching this film will challenge your idea of 'progress', and leave you with plenty to ponder and talk about with friends. Join discussion on the Forum, and see more Books and Films.  [Directed by Chris Malloy. Running Time: 87 minutes] 

180 Degrees South is a powerful documentary that forces its audience to consider the impact of humankind's relentless quest for progress. The film follows Jeff Johnson, a charismatic adventurer as he retraces the footsteps of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins (founders of Patagonia and The North Face adventure wear companies, respectively) on a mission to climb Cerro Corcovado in Patagonia. His quest takes him along the Pan American highway, over the Pacific Ocean, and (due to nautical mishap) to Easter Island before reaching his final destination.

The focus shifts when Johnson reaches Easter Island and takes on a more contemplative tone as he learns the story of Easter Island's moai, the monolithic stone head statues that dot the island's coastline. Construction of these moai from volcanic stone was a colossal undertaking. To produce, transport and erect these statues demanded widespread deforestation and to enable this, the island's natural resources were ravaged. As a result, 18 different plant species were extinct, and the tiny island struggled to provide for its inhabitants. A striking parallel is drawn between the demise of Easter Island and the dam construction planned along the Aysen waterways of Patagonia to fuel the growing demand for energy from Santiago and Chile's ever-hungry mining sector. The cinematography here is striking as the frame shifts from the reflective, almost regretful faces of the moai to the bustling city of Santiago.

Here is a landmark project for Indigenous Australian history, First Australians.  Join discussion in the Forum, and see more Books and Films.

First Australians is a project that seeks to chronicle the history of Australia from the perspective of its first people – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.  This is not the first time that the story of contemporary Australia has been told by Indigenous Australians.  However, the degree of community involvement from writing through to filming and editing is certainly unprecedented, and the resultant documentary, book and website is truly extraordinary.

The story of First Australians begins in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet to Sydney and follows the expanding colonial reach across Australia finally ending with Koiki Mabo’s legal challenge in 1993.  The story is thoroughly researched and blends the narrative of historians seamlessly with the personal stories of individuals involved.  Readers and watchers are drawn to a story which has all the action, scandal, personality and emotion of the best work of fiction.  Historical figures are brought to life in all their complexity, and their competing ideas, priorities and motives are explored with sensitivity and honesty.

Personally, I found many aspects of the First Australians story deeply unsettling.  The magnitude of barbarity in Australian history is enormous and so much of this history remains hidden in communal silence.  However, I also found the experience of reading First Australians gave me more ownership over our bruised and bloody history, and ultimately more proud to be Australian.  

I would highly recommend First Australians as an accessible, authoritative story of contemporary Australian history and the place of the first Australians in this.  This should be on the reading list of every Australian student, and certainly anyone who wishes to understand or contribute to Indigenous health and development.

Book: First Australians (2010), edited by Marcia Langton
Film: First Australians (2010), produced by Rachel Perkins
Website: http://www.firstaustralians.com.au