Incarceration Nation
| Incarceration Nation | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dean Gibson |
| Written by | Dean Gibson |
| Produced by | Helen Morrison |
| Cinematography | Mark Broadbent |
| Edited by | Lindi Harrison |
| Music by | Glen Hunt Tane Matheson Peter Thornley |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,300,000 (estimated) |
"Incarceration Nation" is a 2021 documentary film written and directed by Dean Gibson. It examines the Australian justice system's treatment of Indigenous people, exploring the historical and contemporary factors contributing to their high incarceration rates. The film features interviews with various individuals, including activists and legal experts, providing insights into the systemic issues faced by Indigenous communities. Through personal stories and archival footage, the documentary aims to raise awareness and promote discussions about the need for justice system reforms.
Interviewees
Individuals interviewed in Incarceration Nation.[1][2]
- Prof. Derek Chong – psychiatrist
- Joshua Creamer – barrister
- Apryl Day – daughter of Tanya Day
- Leetona Dungay – mother of David Dungay Jr.
- Mick Gooda – public servant, Human Rights Commissioner (2009–2016)
- Olga Havnen – CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service
- Debbie Kilroy – prison reform activist and lawyer
- Tony McAvoy – barrister
- Amy McQuire – author and journalist
- Keenan Mundine – co-founder of Deadly Connections
- Mathew Myers – ALRC Indigenous Incarceration Inquiry commissioner
- Teela Reid – lawyer
- Vickie Roach – prison abolitionist
- Jodie Sizer – Co-CEO of PWC's Indigenous Consulting (2016–2021)
- Carly Stanley – CEO and co-founder of Deadly Connections
- Jim Taylor – former WA police officer
- Assoc. Prof. Chelsea Watego – author and academic
- Prof. Don Weatherburn – National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre professor
Reception
Writing in the Sydney Morning, Herald Craig Mathieson gave it 4 stars and states "It’s about a country that disproportionately punishes its original inhabitants, and it is in turn unnerving, shocking, and tragic; Gibson does not blink. It captures how the system can fail the individual, and with a test program in the NSW town of Bourke how some basic improvements might actually be made."[3]
Also in the Sydney Morning, Herald Bridget McManus gave it 4 stars. She says "the film expands with evidence that has been hiding in plain sight. With the blessing of courageous families, incredibly distressing vision of abuse and neglect at the hands of police and prison officers is relayed. Indigenous lawyers, barristers and advocates – many of them relatively new faces on television – dissect the issue, tracing it back to colonisation with appalling historical footnotes, and offer solutions."[4]
Eddie Cockrell of the Weekend Australian wrote "Incarceration Nation is distressing and exhausting, and that may well be the point".[5]
Awards
| Award / Film Festival | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Film Festival | 2021 | Documentary Australia Foundation Award | Incarceration Nation | Nominated | [6] |
| Logie Awards | 2022 | Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program | Incarceration Nation | Won | [1] |
| BronzeLens Film Festival | 2022 | Best Documentary | Incarceration Nation | Nominated | [7] |
| Walkley Awards | 2022 | Walkley Documentary Award | Helen Morrison, and Dean Gibson | Shortlisted | [8] |
References
- 1 2 "Incarceration Nation". Screen Australia. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Interviewees – Incarceration Nation". Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Mathieson, Craig (25 August 2021), "Don't just look to the US to find a long history of racial genocide", The Sydney Morning Herald
- ↑ McManus, Bridget (29 August 2021), "Incarceration Nation: how our judicial system punishes the Indigenous", The Sydney Morning Herald
- ↑ Cockrell, Eddie (28 August 2021), "The bites", The Weekend Australian
- ↑ "Human Rights Arts & Film Festival: Incarceration Nation – Fed Square, Melbourne Australia". fedsquare.com. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ "Incarceration Nation | MCA Australia". www.mca.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
- ↑ Admin, Mediaweek (22 October 2021). "66th Walkley Awards finalists announced: The full list". mediaweek.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2026.