this ground w e stand upon

THIS GROUND WE STAND UPON

Set in Far North Queensland during the 1950s and 60s, this film illuminates the pivotal events that led to the formation of the Cairns Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League a movement led and driven by First Peoples to confront the entrenched and systemic racism faced by Indigenous communities. Widely supported by the Trade Union Movement, the Communist Party, and Human Rights and Social Justice advocates of the time, the film highlights the courage and determination of those who stood up, and the lasting impact of their actions.

The story is framed within the broader, ongoing struggle of First Nations Peoples across Queensland. It traces a continuum of injustice, from the brutal massacres that followed the 'discovery' of gold on the Palmer River to the inter-generational challenges that persist today.

The film concludes with a call to action, urging attention to the continuing systematic human rights abuses of impoverishment, social injustice the removal of children from families, juvenile detention, and the mass incarceration and over‑representation of First Nations Peoples in the Australian prison system.

The Grounded Films Collective portray some of the cases taken up by the Cairns Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander League.

• Black & White Taxi discrimination
• Bessie point removals and housing
• The Hopevale Inquiry
• Mareeba Police Assaults
• Mossman Police Assaults.

KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR UPDATES AS WE WORK ON PRODUCTION