Fed: Rabbit-Proof Fence takes best film at AFIs
By Adam Morton And Susan Murdoch
MELBOURNE, Dec 7 AAP - The woman behind Stolen Generations story Rabbit-Proof Fenceissued a plea to Prime Minister John Howard as she helped accept the Australian Film Institute(AFI) award for best film in Melbourne tonight.
Doris Pilkington, who retold her mother Molly's experiences in Follow the Rabbit-ProofFence, the book on which the AFI best film was based, called on Mr Howard to apologiseto indigenous people who were separated from their families by the government.
"I would like him to go to Jigalong and sit down with my mother on the ground and saysorry in our traditional way," she said.
"Sit down on the ground and let his tears mingle with my mother's and tell her softly,`Molly, I'm sorry the government took your daughter away and you will never ever see heragain'."
Ms Pilkington received warm applause after calling on all Australians to support theStolen Generations' request for a government apology.
On a night when the awards were shared around, Phillip Noyce's Rabbit-Proof Fence,which recounts the true story of three Aboriginal girls who walk thousands of kilometresthrough the desert to find their mothers, took out three gongs.
Veteran actor David Gulpilil and young Aboriginal director Ivan Sen continued the indigenoustheme running through the night, taking out best actor and best director for The Trackerand Beneath Clouds respectively.
The remaining acting nods went to Walking On Water, a film about grief over an AIDS-relateddeath.
Walking on Water lead the field with five awards, including best actress for MariaTheodorakis, best supporting actor for Nathaniel Dean and best supporting actress to JudiFarr.
In the television categories, the ABC's suburban comedy Kath and Kim raised some eyebrowsin taking out best drama.
Jane Turner and Gina Riley, the writers and stars of the series, created the biggeststir on the red carpet entrance before the awards, turning out in character to cheer ontheir favorite actors as they arrived.
Joel Edgerton star of the twenty-something series Secret Life of Us, picked up besttelevision actor and Juliet Stevenson won best actress for her role in the ABC telemovie,The Road From Coorain.
The awards night, in Melbourne's Princess Theatre, was hosted by Paul McDermott.
AAP am/ph
KEYWORD: AFI NIGHTLEAD
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