One Mind, One Heart + Q&A
A rediscovered bark petition starts its journey home as healing emerges through collective listening.
Arc Cinema
7:00PM
$22 Full / $19.50 Concession ( + $1.50 booking fee)
28 May, 2026
One Mind, One Heart + Q&A 28 May, 2026
2024 | DCP | AUS | D: Larissa Behrendt
Each day, politicians in Canberra’s Parliament House pass the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, created in 1963 by twelve Yolngu clans using ochre, charcoal and pipeclay. Their message to the Menzies government remains just as relevant today as it was then. The Elders of East Arnhem Land state that their Country, tended for millennia, must never be desecrated by the ambitions of mining interests.
One Mind, One Heart follows First Nations-led practices of shared decision-making and cultural renewal. The film centres on dialogue rather than spectacle as it explores how community, law and care intersect.
The film’s strength lies in its patience, allowing voices and process to shape meaning. It brings together director Larissa Behrendt’s legal background with her filmmaking.
‘A film that models respect as both method and message.’ - Jane Gleeson-White, The Conversation
Join us for a Q&A with director Larissa Behrendt following the screening.
Digital screening from the NFSA collection.
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
Film Details
Year
2024
Details
DCP 82 mins Unclassified 15+
Director
Larissa Behrendt
Countries
AUS