Garuwa: Power to Country
An intimate journey into the life of Garrwa woman Shirley Simon, captured in the short film Power to Country.
Displaced by global climate shifts and unstable power, Shirley was forced to leave her family’s beautiful island homeland in remote Northern Territory. The nearby town of Borroloola, her refuge, faces its own energy crisis. As a resilient matriarch, Shirley is determined to ensure her descendants remain connected to their country and culture.
The solution? Community-owned solar power.
As many communities across Australia grapple with severe environmental challenges, Original Power is at the forefront, building knowledge, resourcing action, and fostering connections through the First Nations Clean Energy Network. For Shirley, their Borroloola Solar Homelands Project is just the beginning of a brighter, more sustainable future.
Image supplied
Power to Country:
Yarning with Genevieve Grieves and Scott McDinny
Saturday 6 July at 12pm
Power to Country is creating sustainable power solutions for remote communities.
Join filmmaker and GARUWA co-founder, Genevieve Grieves and Ngardara Cooperative Director, Scott McDinny, to yarn about renewable energy solutions and learn more about enabling First Nations Peoples to stay connected to Country.
Storytellers: Shirley Simon, Lynette Simon and Family
Director: Josef Jakamarra Egger
Producer: Andrea Distefano
Supervising Director: Genevieve Grieves
Field Producer: Libby Collins
1st Assistant Director: Conrad Rory
Co-Producer: Maya Ghattas
Executive Producer: Kelrick Martin
Consulting Producer: Kieran Satour
Cinematographer: Ryan Andrew Lee
Sound Designer: Lachlan Harris
Editor: Josh Burns
Sound Recordist: Francis Diatschenko
Supervising Post Producer: Ramona Telecican
Production Assistant: Anita Archer
Supervising Editor: Rah Dakota
Legals: Deborah Doctor
Special thanks to Yanyuwa and Garrwa People, Shirley Simon, Lynette Simon and family, Gadrian Hoosan, The Original Power team including Conrad Rory, Lauren Mellor, Dan Brookes and Scotty McDinny, Shaun Evans and the Li-Anthawirriyarra Sea Ranger Unit, Mabunji Aboriginal Resource Indigenous Corporation, Malandari store and Redimart store, Borroloola and the GARUWA team.
Filmed on the traditional country of the Yanyuwa, Marra, Garrwa, Gudanji and Binbingka people of the Borroloola Community and Mumathamburru (West Island), North-East Northern Territory.
Power to Country premiered in Your Planet: Climate & Environment Shorts at Sydney Film Festival, 2023.
Power to Country was supported by ABC, Screen Territory, Doc Society and Shark Island Foundation
GARUWA is a First Nations storytelling agency. They are a proudly diverse group of creatives, unified by a shared passion for the power of imagination and a vision for change.
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