As Constable Riggs (Jason Clarke) arrives, Maude (Ningali Lawford) realises he has come to take the children. They run, but Riggs cuts off their escape route and seizes the children one by one. He warns Gracie (Laura Monaghan) to stay in the car or he’ll lock up her mother. Tiny Daisy (Tianna Sansbury) is easier to subdue but the eldest girl, Molly (Everlyn Sampi), fights back. As the police car drives away, the mothers and Molly’s grandmother (Myarn Lawford) are left wailing in the dust. Summary by Paul Byrnes.

At the Moore River Aboriginal settlement, Molly (Everlyn Sampi) is called out of the assembly to be inspected by Mr AO Neville (Kenneth Branagh), the Protector of Aborigines. Mr Neville checks the colour of her skin, to see whether she is light enough to be sent for training as a domestic at another institution. He decides she is not, which means she will stay at Moore River. Summary by Paul Byrnes.

Mr Neville (Kenneth Branagh) tells the police inspector (Roy Billing) that the three escaped girls must be following the rabbit-proof fence north, to their home. He devises a plan to catch them, sending police troopers down the fence from the north, and the tracker Moodoo (David Gulpilil) up from the south. In the desert, Molly (Everlyn Sampi) carries little Daisy (Tianna Sansbury) on her back. They find food with a fence workman (Ken Radley), who tells them they’re on the Number 2 fence. Until this moment, Molly hasn’t known there was more than one. Gracie (Laura Monaghan) realises immediately they are on the wrong fence. They have come west when they want to go north. The workman sends them in the right direction, but their detour has saved them from getting caught. Summary by Paul Byrnes.

Rhoda Roberts interview Deborah Mailman on Deadly Sounds, a one-hour program produced by Vibe Australia and distributed nationally to over 200 stations every week through the Community Radio Network and National Indigenous Radio Service satellites.

In this clip, they discuss Mailman's role in the Australian feature film Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phillip Noyce, 2002), which tells the story of the Stolen Generations through the eyes of 3 Aboriginal girls who are forcibly taken from their families in 1931 to be trained as domestic servants as part of an official Australian government policy. 

In the interview Mailman says she didn't hesitate to play a small part in the film because of the importance of the subject matter. Roberts says that while the role was small, it poignantly reveals the abuse from the station owner in the film.

Roberts is a member of the Bundjalung nation, Widjabul and Gidabul clans of Northern NSW and South East Queensland, and her interest in the subject matter of the film is easily sensed in the tone of her voice.

Roberts also undoubtedly knows Mailman personally so it feels more like we are eavesdropping on a casual conversation rather than a formal interview. This makes for a very effective interview format.

Unfortunately there are sound issues with Roberts in the broadcast studio and Mailman interviewed via telephone. An in-studio interview would have given the conversation a greater sense of immediacy and drawn us further into their discussion.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw

Phillip Noyce discusses how he came to read the script for Rabbit-Proof Fence - after the persistence of writer Christine Olsen and the people who worked in his office.

Andrew Urban interviewed Noyce at Metro Screen Filmmakers' Studio in Sydney on 17 August 2006.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Christine Olsen approaches Phillip Noyce in 1999 about directing Rabbit-Proof Fence. She later wrote the script and produced the film that Noyce directed.

Cover image: Christine Olsen on set.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Phillip Noyce responds to the Australian media controversy over the scene in Rabbit-Proof Fence where the children are forcibly removed from their family. 

Andrew Urban interviewed Noyce at Metro Screen Filmmakers' Studio in Sydney on 17 August 2006.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Aunty Shirley Lomas, a descendant of the Gamilaroi and Waka Waka Aboriginal nations, talks with Chrstine Olsen, screenwriter and producer of Rabbit-Proof Fence. Aunty Shirley discusses her experience as a member of the stolen generations and introduces her story. They refer to the scene in the film where the girls are forcibly taken from their family.

They are discussing Rabbit-Proof Fence with an audience of over 240 school students as part of a nationwide video-conference through the NFSA Connects program, in November 2012. You can view more clips from this discussion on our YouTube channel.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

A glass slide prop used in Rabbit-Proof Fence. It depicts a nun standing outside with several children and a small chapel in the background.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Front page of a double-sided flyer advertising the Japanese release of Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002).

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Back of a double-sided flyer advertising the Japanese release of Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) and featuring a map highlighting where the story takes place.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Australian one-sheet poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence.

German one-sheet poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence, released in Germany as Long Walk Home.

American one-sheet film poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence. The poster features the text, 'What if the government kidnapped your daughter? It happened every week in Australia from 1905 to 1971' and the tagline 'The true story of a family that defied a nation'.

One of a series of proofs for the US one-sheet poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence. It features different taglines, imagery and colours to the final poster.

A letter of congratulations from the Senate President, Parliament House to the producers of Rabbit-Proof Fence for winning three Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Director Phillip Noyce on the set of Rabbit-Proof Fence with actresses Everlyn Sampi (who plays Molly), Laura Monaghan (Gracie) and Tianna Sansbury (Daisy).

UK quad poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence. 

Hong Kong one-sheet poster for Rabbit-Proof Fence. The poster is notable for its prominent billing of Australian-born cinematographer Christopher Doyle (AKA Du Ke Feng), who has worked extensively in Asia and on Chinese language films and is affiliated with the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Constable Riggs (played by Jason Clarke) searches for the escaped girls near the rabbit-proof fence.

Laura Monaghan (who played Gracie) with actress Rachael Maza, who served as children's drama coach on Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle on a salt pan during the shooting of Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Molly (Everlyn Sampi), Gracie (Laura Monaghan) and Daisy (Tianna Sansbury) walking through a creek bed in a still from Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Moodoo (played by David Gulpilil), an Aboriginal tracker, confers with AO Neville (Kenneth Branagh), the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia, in a scene from Rabbit-Proof Fence. 

Daisy (Tianna Sansbury), Gracie (Laura Monaghan) and Molly (Everlyn Sampi) crossing a salt pan.

David Gulpilil as Moodoo the tracker, searching for the escaped girls in Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Director Phillip Noyce (centre) confers with actors Garry McDonald (left, playing Mr Neal) and Kenneth Branagh (AO Neville) about shooting a scene at the Moore River camp.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen