The Colleano Heart

A unique look at an Aboriginal family brought up without the constraints and stereotypes of what it is to be Aboriginal in this country. An honest portrayal of “freedom of thought” yet still hidden under stage pseudonyms as they moved in the circus and vaudeville circles, hidden in plain sight by the wider community to become world-renowned on the international stage.

We bring to light this ‘Hidden Generation’ who, due to government policies and constrictions, chose not to identify, to avoid oppression and racism. During WW1, the Colleanos emulated this by “passing” as other ethnicities. We are addressing this by truth-searching and giving a voice to those whose stories have been kept hidden.

Our truth telling enriches our Australian history timeline and reshapes it with an Indigenous perspective. The Colleano Heart highlights the incredible contributions First Nations people have brought to the world of circus, to the fight for freedom and their ingenious resourcefulness.

Understanding of and recognition for the Hidden Generations of Aboriginal Australia, like the Colleano family, providing truth-telling to a time in our history where some of Aboriginal Australia found ways to adapt and live freely in Australia and abroad, demonstrating what “freedom of thought” could look like without the constraints and stereotypes imposed on Aboriginal people in this country.

As the search for truth unfolds the opportunity to break the cycle of the Hidden Generation, this film will provoke and add to the growing national change in our Hidden Generation narrative and seek truth to reshape our nation’s colonial and post-colonial stories. This story addresses the issue of more than truth-telling – we are truth searching. We must unpack our stories and share them within our families, First Nations communities, our schools and institutions and the general public to celebrate and honour the contributions our First Nations people have made on a global level.

– Truth-telling and unearthing the histories of the Hidden Generations of our community during the turn of the 20th century, when the identity of Australia was being defined.
– Increased knowledge around the impacts of the Assimilation policies and how families desperately tried to keep together to not be a part of the “Stolen Generation”
– Healing some of the shame for our families that will see this film and know that there are ways to reconnect.
– An increase in educational conversations and curriculum shifts around the history of our country.
– Decolonising the narrative of our history.
– Understanding the layers of the trauma created by the historical policies so that we grow as a nation into a better society.
– In the same way that the truth-telling of “Stolen Generation” has helped to shift policies for Aboriginal Australia, we hope this “Hidden Generation“ narrative will demonstrate how it has harmed and disrupted the connection of Aboriginal people to their country and people

Pauline has a wide range of connections through her work on the Winda Film festival and in the international space. We also know there are regional parts of Australia where the family performed that could attract this access and there is a circus group in North Coast of NSW that we would work with (and the Circus community) to help lift this history of entertainment and engagement.

The strength of two culturally sensitive Aboriginal key creatives who also have strong ties to the NSW East Coast Aboriginal Nations brings pre-existing relationships, authenticity and accessibility to the community.

Bettina and WildBear also have extensive feature documentary marketplace connections through their previous works. They also acknowledge the guidance of their First Nations key creatives and step out of the way for them to lead the project through the cultural landscape.

#truth_searching

The call to action is to go beyond truth-telling for Aboriginal stories, but to go even further and search for those hidden stories. To empower those who have been kept in the dark about their history and have a compelling drive to unlock the truth and reclaim their identity for their own health and wellbeing and their future generations.