Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)
Rabbit Proof Fence is a critically acclaimed Australian film based on the book Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. The story takes place in 1931 and follows three girls - Garimara's mother, aunt and cousin - who are of mixed Aboriginal and white heritage. At the time when the story takes place it was governmental policy to separate Aboriginal girls from their mothers to teach them how to perform domestic chores and otherwise become integrated into white society. The girls, part of what would later be termed the "Stolen Generation," escape and begin a 1,500 mile trek across the Australian Outback in search of the fence that bisects the content and will lead them back to their families. This film powerfully addresses the culture clash between white colonists, who honestly believed their lifestyle was ultimately best, and the Aboriginal peoples that had called the continent home for tens of thousands of years. This clash of cultural beliefs the proper way of utilizing a region's resources is a common theme in discussing the interaction of foraging societies with the state-level agriculturalists, and this film poignantly reveals the personal repercussions of cultural conflict.
Internet Movie Database information on the film
