Before winning the coveted Archibald Prize in 2022, Dhungatti artist Blak Douglas collaborated with filmmakers to document the preparation of his most emotionally charged work, a portrait of his Indigenous grandmother, revealed at the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Art Triennial: Defying Empire.

Blak Douglas invites us into his painting studio in the back streets of Redfern, sharing intimate moments of an artist at work and glimpses into his exploration of creativity. With unflinching directness and courage, he discusses his experience growing up having to prove his Aboriginality to forge his identity as a working artist, attempting to reconcile with the intergenerational trauma he witnessed directly in his father and which he personally confronts.

Short film to play before feature: CORNERSTONE MELBOURNE (Dir: Zeta Hamilton-Durkin, 15 mins)

Violetta discovers a timeless building while searching for her father, meeting creatives who question the future of their studios due to an unravelling threat. A documentary about the labyrinthine Nicholas Building, a cherished artistic beacon in Melbourne.

20 min post-film Q&A