First Nations Bedtime Stories brought to life in new education series

Filming First Nations Bedtime Stories.

Article by Matthew Eeles

Ballardong/Whadjuk Noongar woman Brooke Collard has teamed up with Common Ground to produced the Noongar iteration of the social impact group’s educational series, First Nations Bedtime Stories.

First Nations Bedtime Stories is produced every year with a different First Nations group. They create the series in collaboration with First Nations teachers to create educational resources for early childhood through to year 6.

“Being able to share Noongar culture to a younger audience is incredibly fulfilling,” Brooke tells Cinema Australia.

“In the lead up to the release of the series, it was before the recent Referendum and even though our project was not linked to the Yes campaign, there were people who were commenting that it was in a negative manner. Each project we do as First Nations people is inherently political as our existence is always politicised. Being able to showcase the importance of First Nations stories coming from our own communities is inherently the way forward for Australian film making.”

Brooke has been working in the film industry since 2018 starting in the art department where she was lucky enough to work on WA productions such as children’s television series Itch, short film, Sparkles, and ABC comedy series, KGB. Brooke has since worked on productions such as The Great, Sweet As, Our Law and a video game titled Broken Roads.

“I won the AACTA regional pitch last year with my partner, for our pitch Reclamation, a Noongar horror about a Noongar priest who reconnects to family while being haunted by a balyit. I’ve just started working at Awesome Black as the Narrative and Games Designer, which makes me the only full time employed First Nations person in gaming in WA. I’m also proud mother to a toddler who keeps me busy!”

Brooke tells Cinema Australia that being able to create a project like First Nations Bedtime Stories in collaboration with Elders who were given autonomy to tell their stories, their way, is incredibly important.

“It’s vitally important as we share our kaartijin (knowledge) that dates back millennia. It also creates a crucial pathway for understanding of Noongar science, medicine, language and caring for country,” says Brooke.

“Our Elders have a rate of passing away more than ten years younger than the average Australian, and with this is a massive loss of knowledge and culture that passes away with them. By being able to record their stories for future generations, we can enable their stories to live on into the distant future.”

Brooke was lucky enough to collaborate with five Noongar Elders throughout the making of the series including Aunty Kerry-Ann who teaches us how Ballardong Noongar people used the stars as a way of navigation; Uncle Len who teaches us about how Noongar language is related to the spirit, the body, and country; Aunty Marie who teaches us how we shouldn’t discriminate against others; Uncle Koodah who teaches us about Noongar science, and how we used what was in nature; and Aunty Viv who teaches us about the “bush supermarket” and what we’d use as holistic medicine.

“It been extremely uplifting to work on the series. Not just to make further connections to Noongar culture, but also extended family which are far and few between as we are based in Broome,” says Brooke.

“I’m also extremely fortunate to be able to work on these projects with my fiance Gary Hamaguchi, and we bring our toddler on set to connect to culture and family.”

Brooke’s production company Goguljar Yok and Common Ground have recently partnered with HALO Films and The Backlot Perth to screen the series free to the public on Sunday, March 31.

Keep an eye on http://www.cinemaaustralia.com.au for screening updates.