WA-made documentaries on our watchlist this National Reconciliation Week
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following article contains images and names of people who have died.
This National Reconciliation Week, we’ll be watching innovative, bold and thought-provoking documentaries produced right here in Western Australia.
We’re proud to support Western Australian First Nations screen voices and truth-telling through the Screenwest First Nations Screen Strategy and targeted initiatives for WA First Nations screen practitioners and production companies.
Documentaries on our watchlist include:
OUR MEDICINE Season 1 (2025) and Season 2 (2026)
(Season 1 Karla Hart Enterprises and Periscope Pictures, Season 2 Pink Pepper and Periscope Pictures.)
Our Medicine. Dr Bianca Howard and Dr Stephanie Trust with Elder Madeline Purdie collecting Bush Medicine in Warmun, WA. Credit: Arthur Hunter.
With unique access to First Nations doctors, nurses, paramedics, traditional healers and other medical professionals around Australia, Our Medicine is a ground-breaking observational series which takes viewers behind the frontline of Australia’s medical services and joins patients on their emotional journeys through the system.
Key WA filming location: Kununurra/Goonoonoorrang (Season 1), Perth/Boorloo, Broome/Rubibi (Season 2)
Where to watch? SBS On Demand.
END GAME WITH TONY ARMSTRONG (2025)
(Smashing Films, Barking Mad Productions and Allstory Pictures)
End Game with Tony Armstrong. Michael Holding and Tony Armstrong. Credit: Smashing Films.
Tony Armstrong tackles Australia’s overdue reckoning with racism in sport, with the help of some of its biggest sports stars such as Sydney Swans’ Adam Goodes and Manchester United and England captain Rio Ferdinand. Through conversation, exploring the role of athlete activism, uncovering breakthrough AI technology that tracks online hate and challenging the Australian government to take stronger action, Tony seeks to drive systemic change to Australia’s major sporting codes.
Key WA filming location: Perth/Boorloo
Where to watch? ABC iview
OUR LAW Season 1 (2023) and Season 2 (2024)
(Pink Pepper and Periscope Pictures)
Our Law. Cadets Ace Kiernan and Leroy Rundle viewing footage at Kalgoorlie Police Station, WA. Credit: Nic Duncan
On the frontline of the world’s largest police jurisdiction, First Nations police officers and cadets attempt to change the system from within. For 12 months, Our Law cameras follow the gruelling training and emergency callouts in one of the largest and most challenging law enforcement areas in the world.
Key WA filming locations include: Perth/Boorloo and surrounds, Pilbara/Bilybarra, Kalgoorlie/Karlkurla, Geraldton/Jambinu, Kununurra/Goonoonoorrang
Where to watch? Season 1 on SBS On Demand
THE TALE OF MR KIMBERLEY (2023)
(Jake Blackburn)
The Tale of Mr Kimberley. Sam Lovell on location in Derby, WA. Credit: State Library of Western Australia.
The Tale of Mr Kimberley is a short documentary exploring the life story of Sam Lovell, affectionately known as the father of Indigenous Tourism in WA, who began Kimberley Safari Tours in 1981. But Sam’s story reaches further back and speaks to issues as diverse as pastoral expansion throughout the Kimberley, the Stolen Generations, and the varied social and cultural elements that contribute to the region.
Key WA filming location: Kimberley region
Where to watch? YouTube
KEEPING HOPE (2023)
(Joined Up Films)
Keeping Hope. Presenter/Co-Producer Mark Coles Smith on location, Mueller Ranges, WA. Credit: Torstein Dyrting.
Mark Coles Smith travels to the Kimberley region in Western Australia, where he grew up, to investigate why it has the highest suicide rate in the world, especially among young Indigenous men, and what can be done to restore hope.
Key WA filming location: Kimberley region
Where to watch? SBS On Demand
CONNECTION TO COUNTRY (2017)
(Weerianna Street Media)
Connection to Country. Frank Smith, Keith Churnside, Reg Sambo and Ricky Smith at Boodjuna Outcamp. Credit: Tyson Mowarin.
This documentary follows a group of Indigenous people from the Pilbara as they battle to preserve Australia’s unique cultural heritage from the ravages of a booming mining industry.
Key WA filming location: Pilbara/Bilybarra region
Where to watch? SBS On Demand
FAMILY RULES Season 1 (2016), Season 2 (2018) and Season 3 (2020)
(Metamorflix, Family Rules, Karla Hart Productions)
Kelly, Daniella, Shenika, Aleisha, Nan Doreen and Sharna Rules in Family Rules S3. Credit: Sabine Albers
An inside look at the experiences of the Rule family consisting of a mother, Daniella, raising her nine daughters alone while navigating the challenges of the modern world with the understanding of their Indigenous heritage.
Key WA filming location: Perth/Boorloo
Where to watch? Seasons 1 and 2 on SBS On Demand
FIRST FACTS: FIRST NATIONS FACTUAL SHOWCASE
Aṉangu Way
The First Facts: First Nations Factual Showcase collection features six short documentaries, five of which are Western Australian. These documentaries by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers span Country, culture, and generation. The five WA documentaries include Re-imagining Our Futures: birthing, Aṉangu Way, Ornmol, Life After Footy, and Burabura, with the sixth project Firekeepers “Flames of Renewal: Fighting for Cultural Survival” made in New South Wales.
You can read more about the collection, here.
Where to watch? Channel 10 streaming.
Want more? Check out Reconciliation Australia’s list of 25 Films for 25 years, showcasing must-watch First Nations-led feature films.