Australian Cinema After Mabo

'The authors offer a compelling argument about the development of Australian cinema in the wake of the High Court's 1993 Mabo judgement, which overturned the founding principle of terra nullius - the myth that Australia was 'empty' prior to European settlement/invasion. This belated realization, Collins and Davis argue, opened a completely new chapter in the country's national cinema. The late 1990s and early 2000s have seen Australian film-makers respond by reflecting critically upon Australia's unresolved historical 'trauma' and restaging the country's colonial history ... the book is strong in addressing films directly responsive to the crumbling myth of terra nullius ... it ... offers an excellent, much-needed sophisticated contribution to contemporary political, historical and cinematic debates around Australian national identity, while evidencing the continuing weight and relevance of film as a culturally engaged form.' Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory