A Sister's Love
A Sister's Love is both a film about family grief and a reflection of the historical Australian attitude towards indigenous Australians as second class citizens. This very personal story of Rhoda Roberts and her family still dealing with the grief of a lost loved one is underscored by the racism and bigotry that followed Rhoda and Lois throughout their lives. Rhoda recalls how she was constantly afraid that she would be stolen from school by the local authorities and put back in a mission because it was assumed that she came from an underprivileged Aboriginal home. And she remembers the experience of growing up as the daughter of a white mother and Indigenous father in Lismore, where "darkies" weren't allowed even to eat in the local café, contextualising the local police's neglect of her sister's vanishing. Lois's surviving daughter Emily, whom Rhoda has raised from infancy, appears in the film as a constant reminder of the twin sister that Rhoda lost - an experience she describes as being like losing part of herself - and the land of the Bundjalung provides a beautiful backdrop.
Primary Title
- A Sister's Love
Date Broadcast
- Thursday 11 October 2007
Start Time
- 22 : 30
Finish Time
- 23 : 30
Channel
- ABC
Broadcaster
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Programme Description
- A Sister's Love is both a film about family grief and a reflection of the historical Australian attitude towards indigenous Australians as second class citizens. This very personal story of Rhoda Roberts and her family still dealing with the grief of a lost loved one is underscored by the racism and bigotry that followed Rhoda and Lois throughout their lives. Rhoda recalls how she was constantly afraid that she would be stolen from school by the local authorities and put back in a mission because it was assumed that she came from an underprivileged Aboriginal home. And she remembers the experience of growing up as the daughter of a white mother and Indigenous father in Lismore, where "darkies" weren't allowed even to eat in the local café, contextualising the local police's neglect of her sister's vanishing. Lois's surviving daughter Emily, whom Rhoda has raised from infancy, appears in the film as a constant reminder of the twin sister that Rhoda lost - an experience she describes as being like losing part of herself - and the land of the Bundjalung provides a beautiful backdrop.
Classification
- AO
Owning Collection
- Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Subjects
- Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales--Lismore--Social conditions
- Aboriginal Australians--Families
- Racism--New South Wales
- Lismore (N.S.W.)--Race relations
- Women--Crimes against--New South Wales
- Family--New South Wales
Genres
- Documentary
Contributors
- Ivan Sen (Director)
- Ivan Sen (Producer)
- Martin Brown (Producer)
- Australian Film Commission (Funder)
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Funder)
- Martin Brown Films (Production Unit)
Subjects
- Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales--Lismore--Social conditions
- Aboriginal Australians--Families
- Racism--New South Wales
- Lismore (N.S.W.)--Race relations
- Women--Crimes against--New South Wales
- Family--New South Wales