Eastern Access Community Health – Screening of Liyarn Ngarn

Eastern Access Community House (EACH) provides a diverse range of health services for the community, including disability services, mental health services, primary care, community information, education and counselling.

Stage Club, located at Lifeworks at 9 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood orangises film or life performances, such as plays, poetry or music, every third Friday, providing an opportunity for people with mental illness to learn skills relevant to the entertainment industry.

As part of its commitment to Reconciliation Week, EACH and the Stage Club program, hosted a screening of Liyarn Ngarn; which means ‘coming together of the spirit’ in the Yawuru language of the West Kimberley region.

Liyarn Ngarn is a documentary that explores the treatment of Indigenous Australians, as seen through the perspective of English actor Peter Postlethwaite, accompanied by Archie Roach and Patrick Dodson. Peter, explored the plight of Indigenous Australians after meeting Bill Johnson, an old friend of his, by chance in Perth. Bill and his wife, adopted an Aboriginal child Louis, who died tragically in 1992 after being beaten on his 19th birthday and subsequently denied proper care within the hospital system.

The film follows their journey as they travel from Perth through to Archie Roach’s home country in south-west Victoria providing a journey through outback Australia and the treatment of indigenous Australians. During the journey the documentary explores major turning points in the country’s relationship with Indigenous Australians.

Personal accounts make the film a very powerful documentary, particularly through music from the album “Journey” where Archie Roach re-tells the experiences of Indigenous Australians through his lyrics. Liyran Ngarn demonstrates the need for ongoing reconciliation with Indigenous Australians so that past mistakes will not be repeated.

For further information on Eastern Access Community Health (EACH) please visit www.each.com.au.