Yolngu Vision was filmed in north east Arnhem Land at Banthula, Yalingbura and Gunyangara.Through working with Yolngu people on a project about mental health for Indigenous people, we found ourselves talking with Yolngu people about some of the things they want for the future, and some of the things people are interested in sharing with other people. Through these interractions, we can get a sense of Yolngu people that is far removed from the depiction often portrayed in mainstream media channels. We found people who are working, and actively looking to share their culture with visitors from elsewhere, to build businesses that hold onto their cultural practices. Through being able to speak the language, and being related through adopted family networks, we were able to capture different stories that people relate almost organically. In this snapshot and various asides, we can see people who are practicing traditional practices not for commercial gain, but because they see them as necessary for survival. This is particularly relevant in the area of mental health, where maintaining traditional law and discipline are often ways of keeping young people away from negative influences. In our work, we often see glimpses of a more positive future for some Yolngu people, and we hope that these glimpses can turn into a wider vision that can be seen by people outside of their own sphere of influence.
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