Reconciliation week screening

Horsham Town Hall will show an outdoor screening of the film Marngrook as part of National Reconciliation Week.

National Reconciliation Week, starting today and running until June 3, is for all Australians to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how everyone can contribute to understanding and acceptance.

The theme for 2020 is In This Together – an appropriate catchcry given the COVID-19 pandemic.

While COVID-19 restrictions will limit the customary public events, Horsham Rural City Council and project partners Wimmera Primary Care Partnership and Federation University are committed to continuing a reconciliation conversation in 2020.

The projection of the Marngrook film, along with the development of a double-page reconciliation poster in The Weekly Advertiser, are two methods organisers are using to keep National Reconciliation Week in the spotlight.

Marngrook, written by Titta Seacombe, was created in collaboration with Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative last year as part of a National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, NAIDOC, Week exhibition.

It is based on the notion of how Australian rules football developed from ‘Marngrook’, a ball game played by Aboriginal people in northwest Victoria more than 150 years ago.

The film’s story takes place at the foot of Duwul, the highest mountain in the Grampians and the traditional country of the Djab-wurrung and Jardwadjali clans.

When central character Wawi notices the children only have old toys to play with, he goes for a walk to see what he can find.

Marngrook will show every day during the week between 5am and 7am and 6pm and 10pm.

The best position people can view the five-minute film, which will be on a continual loop, is on Pynsent Street in Horsham, where the community must adhere to social-distancing regulations.

Barengi Gadjin Land Council has endorsed the Marngrook projection and Goolum Goolum will promote the production.

The posters, published today, will give people the chance to trace one of their hands in the centre of the page and write or draw a message about what reconciliation means to them before displaying it in a window.

Before displaying the poster, project organisers have invited the public to share a photo with them – to be emailed to council@hrcc. vic.gov.au – so Horsham Rural City Council can present the posters in a unified way to the community.

Horsham mayor Mark Radford said it was important to continue to highlight the significance of National Reconciliation Week through the pandemic restrictions.

“Walking together, with events during reconciliation week, is an important part of the council’s commitment to improve understanding and positive change, both within our organisation and in the Wimmera community,” he said.

People seeking more information about National Reconciliation Week can visit website www.reconciliation.org.au/nationalreconciliation-week.

• Poster, pages 36 and 37.