Welcome to my Country

Commissioned by Tourism Australia, this unique and first-of-a-kind compelling Welcome to Country film.

Co-written and created by writer/ director Malinda Rutter and Blackfisch’s Executive Creative Director Jeremy Perrott, this film transcends the cultural sensitivities of Australian Aboriginal first nations people while weaving their stories and heritage into a movie.
The film was produced by Malinda’s Production company Blackfisch Films.

There are integral reasons this film is regarded as the first of its kind.
Blackfisch is an Indigenous film company and is connected to mob and country. They could work with the Elders directly; without that, there wouldn't have been access.

All filmed during COVID, Blackfisch could work with the local mobs where conventional film units would not have been allowed. With ever-changing locations and talent due to Covid, Malinda was able to change the script and shots while travelling.

Being Aboriginal means being part of family, understanding the ancestors’ importance, and respecting their ongoing existence.
Knowing this, the script was written to engage the viewer and help them understand that the longest-living culture on the planet has a story to share.

On welcoming us to country, the Elders all say "Welcome to my country, and meet my ancestors,
Rocks, trees, rivers, ocean, animals, plants, and all that surrounds us.
This is the element that makes the film most special and unique.

For the first time, an Elder of the region welcomes us to their country where their ancestors live.

Aunty Yilna is disabled and has a mobility scooter to move around from the remote Northern Territory.

Uncle Bennett from the Daintree Forest in remote northern Queensland.

To modern-day Elders (Uncle Noel and Aunty Margaret), diverse and connected, related to land and each other.

To tell the story, Malinda also chose to shoot each location using a drone camera, ensuring another level of Aboriginal insight, culture and brief were woven into the storytelling.

Dramatic footage of our Australian landscapes was captured through the drone to show how our custodians see their land.