Couldn't be Fairer

This film shows an aspect of the Aboriginals of Australia not known to most whites. O'Rourke made a film about their problems which are the result of political oppression and racial violence. The title was taken from a statement by the prime minister of Queensland made in 1983: "We treat them the same as everyone else, couldn't be fairer." Interlarded with archive footage, this documentary film provides a historical context for the present-day situation of the original inhabitants of Australia, proving the premier not altogether right. In addition, Couldn't be Fairer features the Aboriginal activist Mick Miller. He comments on the film and elucidates his standpoints on racial relations in Australia. The camera follows him while he and his supporters are discussing the effects commercial developments like mining and tourism have had on the communities of the Aboriginals. He explains that his people are being treated as fifth rate citizens, rendering them "truly strangers in their own land". This film was partly assigned by the BBC, as part of a series in which people from the Third World talk about their conflicts with Western culture. O'Rourke's harsh image of racism still rife in the Australian interior was eventually broadcast by the British network in a heavily censored version. In this festival the film will be shown in its original format. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)