Antinuclear

Interview with John Pilger about his new film “Utopia”

Utopia – a powerful film about the subjugation of Aboriginal First Australians 09/11/2013 An interview with the maker of Utopia, John Pilger John Pilger, the renowned investigative journalist and award winning film maker, has recently completed a new film, Utopia, which deals with the subjugation of the Aboriginal First Australians. Niall Mulholland interviews John about the film’s themes, followed with a review of Utopia. Socialistworld.net

Your new film, Utopia, is a powerful and harrowing look at the legacy of colonial genocide and successive government policies on Australia’s indigenous people. What made you return to this theme?……..

The film shows that the Howard government’s ’intervention’ into the Northern Territories (NT) was based on lies and media hysteria about sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities. Is there a link between this scandal and big mining corporations’ exploitation of uranium and other natural resources in NT?

There is a link, but it’s not necessarily the most important one. There is a frustration in the Australian elite that the remote Aboriginal population refuses to conform to suburban ways; it cannot be controlled and socially engineered.

This is historic. These days, free market ideology determines the bureaucratic meddling in indigenous societies.

The very notion of communal living is anathema to politicians and the media. How dare Aboriginal people practise a form of socialism! How dare they claim the same rights to services as non-indigenous Australians, which the so-called free market cannot deliver.

How dare they refuse to be ’reconciled’ and assimilated. That their difference demands respect, above all, is beyond the grasp of most politicians.

The levels of poverty, racism and rates of imprisonment suffered by the indigenous people are shocking. Why do you think it is not more widely known about in Australia and internationally?

Australia has never known the opprobrium directed at South Africa. Why? Demographically, Australia is the reverse of South Africa.

Black South Africans are the majority; black Australians make up less than 3% of the population……

Utopia will be released at the Curzon Soho cinema in London on Friday 15 November. And on Monday 18 November, the Picture House Brixton, will beam Utopia to 30 cinemas across the UK, together with a question and answer session with John Pilger.

Utopia will be available on DVD from 16 December. ITV (UK) will broadcast the film in December. The film will be released in Australia in January. http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/6549

November 14, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | aboriginal issues, media