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Final Place of Refuge is returning in April with a screening of the multi-award winning 2025 documentary YURLU | COUNTRY. A pre-recorded Q&A between the director Yaara Bou Melham and Carlo Ansaldo (Climate Officer, Darwin Community Arts) will be screened before the film (80 mins duration).Wednesday 15 April
6pm - 7.30pm
Travers Street Theatre
Darwin Community Arts
2/1 Travers Street Coconut Grove
Snacks provided.
Entry is by donation with no one turned away.
A vivid ode to Country and an intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Banjima Elder, Maitland Parker, calls his Yurlu (homelands) “Poison Country” – a haunting, toxic truth etched into his body. Set against the breathtaking yet contaminated landscapes of Western Australia’s Pilbara region, YURLU | COUNTRY lays bare the devastating impact of the Wittenoom asbestos mines, where millions of tonnes of waste laced with deadly asbestos fibres have poisoned both land and people. It’s Australia’s largely unknown Chernobyl-scale disaster and it’s on Banjima lands.
As Maitland battles mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, his resolve to fight for his homeland and future generations only strengthens. Through striking cinematography and deeply personal storytelling, the film stands as a testament to the resilience of Banjima and their unbreakable bond with Country. Maitland and his family’s fight for justice, cultural survival, and environmental restoration will inspire, enrage, and catalyse.
This is Maitland’s legacy. YURLU | COUNTRY will honour and immortalise it.
Final Place of Refuge is a Culture and Climate program at Darwin Community Arts. Our 2026 film program will showcase works relevant to an NT audience which address climate, disaster resilience and how we turn to each other in times of crisis.
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Venue is wheelchair accessible, including bathrooms and accessible via bus.
Films are closed captioned where possible - please contact Carlo to confirm.
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Event Venue
2-3, 1 Travers Street, Coconut Grove, NT, Australia, Northern Territory 0810, 1 Travers St, Coconut Grove NT 0810, Australia, Darwin
Tickets
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