High Ground + Q&A

A frontier thriller where survival collides with truth and accountability.

Arc Cinema

2:00PM

$22 Full / $19.50 Concession ( + $1.50 booking fee)

31 May, 2026

Share this article to:
Email Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp

High Ground + Q&A 31 May, 2026

2020 | DCP | AUS | D: Stephen Johnson

Closed Captions available

Set in Arnhem Land following World War I, High Ground follows Travis (Simon Baker) former soldier turned policeman and a young Aboriginal man, Gutjuk (Jacob Junior Nayinggul). They team up to track down Baywara (Sean Mununggurr), a warrior blamed for terrorising white settlements.

As the pursuit unfolds, buried atrocities and competing loyalties surface, complicating the idea of justice. Balancing action with moral inquiry, the film interrogates colonial violence and memory through landscape, character and confrontation, offering a tense reckoning with Australia’s frontier history.

Featuring Aaron Pedersen, Ryan Corr and Jack Thompson, Chris Anastassiades’ screenplay offers a fictionalised retelling of a true story. The film is shaped with guidance from elder and Yothu Yindi founding member Witiyana Marika, who also appears in the film.

‘A muscular, unsettling frontier thriller that confronts Australia’s past with uncommon directness.’ — Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian Australia

Join us for a Q&A with director Steven Johnson following the screening.

Digital screening from the NFSA collection.

 The NFSA offers closed captioning and audio description services through Dolby Accessibility Solution receivers. A total of 15 receivers are available for selected screenings. 

To book your receiver 

Email tickets@nfsa.gov.au with your name, contact details, and the screening you would like the receiver for. 
Unreserved receivers will be available from reception before the screening. Receivers are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

To collect your receiver 

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your screening start time and collect from NFSA Reception (McCoy Circuit entrance). 
An NFSA staff member will set up your receiver and provide a brief demonstration on how to use it 
Headphones are provided, however, you’re welcome to bring your own if they have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Arc Cinema

We are situated in the heart of Canberra on McCoy Circuit, Acton, between the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and the grounds of the Australian National University. Just a 10-minute walk from the city and state bus interchanges.

1 McCoy Circuit, Acton, ACT 2601

Google Maps