Yurlu | Country will have its World Premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in Official Competition for the Documentary Australia Award.
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 for more than 60 years. It’s Australia’s largely unknown Chernobyl-scale environmental 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.
Co-created with Banjima Elder Maitland Parker, more than a dozen people from his community are traveling over from the Pilbara, WA for this landmark screening. Join us!
