Heartland

Director, Producer & Editor

A short documentary exploring the meaning of home, ritual and identity in a new land. Two woman of different generations share their story.

Sana Balai is a descendent of the Nakaripa clan of Buka Island and fled to Australia during the Bougainville Crisis. With strong connections to age-old traditions, she negotiates the co-existence of traditional and contemporary rituals and beliefs.

Cecilia Kavara-Verran was born in Papua New Guinea and came to Australia as a baby. She struggled with her identity as a young teenager. Art became her tool for exploring a hybrid existence between two very different cultures. For Cecilia, art is ritual.