88

"88" tells the story from the bicentennial year when 30,000 Aboriginal people marched in Sydney - a day that would change the nation.

'88" is a landmark documentary that explores the remarkable events that led up to January 26th 1988, the march and its aftermath. For many people their memories of the Bicentennial are tied to the Tall Ships coming through Sydney Harbour with Princess Diana and Prince Charles gracing our shores. At the other end of the city the March for Justice, Freedom and Hope took place – the largest protest march since the Vietnam Moratorium with over 30,000 Aboriginal people serving as a reminder that white Australia has a black History.

'88" retraces the remarkable events that led up to the march with stories from the convoys that travelled form every corner of Australia who converged in La Perouse. Through wide ranging interviews the film reveals the remarkable events that took place on that day. '88" features interviews with people who were instrumental in coordinating the convoys and the march alongside personal anecdotes of those who took part in the historic event. The film also features rare unseen video archive taking viewers back to the specific period in time. The 1980's marked a significant period in the history of Aboriginal protest that culminated in the Bicentennial Protest where representatives from every corner of Australia come together in unity – an event that many people have described as a modern day corroborree. What is also remarkable was the overwhelming support from the wider community who joined the march as a sign on unity – a true moment of reconciliation.

The Bicentennial of the First Fleet was a watershed moment in Australian history and it triggered the largest gathering of Indigenous people this country has ever seen, who came together to tell their story.  The protest that occurred on that day instigated mass public debate about the concept of Australian history, the position of Aboriginal people in contemporary society and so began the reconciliation movement. The protest message was loud and clear to all, 'White Australia has a Black history." 1988 subsequently became known as 'The Year of Mourning", a sharp contrast to a national event that remains to this day, one of the biggest celebrations Australia has ever witnessed.