Screening as part of NAIDOC Week with a special introduction from Shaun Braybrook ACM, MAD BASTARDS is a powerful Australian drama film written and directed by Brendan Fletcher set in the Kimberley. It is Fletcher’s debut film and it premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Years ago, TJ (Dean Daley-Jones) abandoned his wife and son, and as time passes his conscience tells him it’s time he began facing up to his responsibilities as a father. TJ is an Aboriginal man living in Western Australia and has a weakness for alcohol and a habit of getting into fights. As it happens, TJ’s son Bullet (Lucas Yeeda) is nearly as troubled as he is; at the age of thirteen, he’s already been arrested for arson and instead of serving a sentence in a juvenile detention home, he is released to the custody of his Elders. Bullet isn’t anxious to reacquaint himself with TJ, but both realize they need to settle their scores with one another, and Bullet’s Grandfather Texas (Greg Tait) steps in to help.

This special event screening will be introduced by Shaun Braybrook.
In 2019, Shaun Braybrook was awarded the Australian Corrections Medal (ACM) at a ceremony at Government House. A proud Aboriginal man, he has been dedicated to supporting and rehabilitating indigenous prisoners and offenders since he started working as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer at Port Phillip Prison in 2001.

Shaun Braybrook ACM is currently the General Manager of the Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place, a culturally appropriate residential diversion program for Aboriginal men on Community Correction Orders. His program has great success is reducing incarceration rates for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander men in Victoria.

If we have time, we might watch a short film made by Gus (TPH) on one participant’s journey through the program. THE EAGLE won Gus a Best Film prize at St Kilda film Festival in 2014.

Rating

M

Duration

110 MINS