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The Last Daughter

The Last Daughter

The Last Daughter

Dir. Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt
87 min

Director Nathaniel Schmidt Attending

When she was young, Brenda was taken from her Aboriginal family and placed in a white one, where she lived, and was loved, for five years. Then, just as suddenly, she was returned, but the emotional toll resonates for years.

Brenda Matthews’ first memories are warm and full of caring. She lived with a white family who took wonderful care of her, after being forcefully taken from her biological parents. When this is reversed five years later, her life is utterly disrupted, and, as an adult, Brenda now feels disconnected from both lives. Now, she goes on a search for the foster family, uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies, and discovers the possibility for deeper connections to family and culture.

“The Last Daughter gracefully shows how old wounds can be healed and how distant memories can come back into colour and focus.” –Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian

Film Details

Release Year: 2023
Runtime: 87 min
Country/Region: Australia
Language: English
Tags: Best of Fest, Documentary, Guest Attending, Human Rights, Indigenous Voices, Social Justice

Cast/Crew

Director: Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt
Executive Producer: Kyle Slabb, Michael Tear, Taryn Brumfitt
Producer: Simon Williams, Brendon Skinner
Cinematographer: Miles Rowland
Screenwriter: Brenda Matthews
Editor: David Scarborough
Composer: James Henry