We Are Still Here

In order to understand how the 8 First Nations stories spoke to each other visually, I created a colour script, mapping out each scene in relation to the next. I plotted the entire film using colour to identify the land each scene was set, the beats of the scene in terms of character and action, time of day and time of place - and I used images to represent the tone of the scenes. The colour palette that emerged reinforced how strong connection to country was in our interweaving stories - highlighting the contrasts between the lush rainforests of Aotearoa and the red earth of Mparntwe.

Opening the Sydney Film Festival 2022, “We Are Still Here” traverses 1,000 years and interweaves eight stories of kinship, loss, grief and resilience from across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific. Natalie was the Production Designer of the four Australian stories, each told through the eyes of heroic protagonists, focusing on showing the strength of love and hope required to overcome shared traumas that Indigenous people have continued to face. The film brings together a range of genres including animation, romantic comedy and period drama.

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