Bastardy

An intimate documentary that follows six years of the life, struggles, and triumphs of Uncle Jack Charles, the renowned Aboriginal actor who established Australia’s first indigenous theatre company.

This film includes themes of racism, inequality, and loss, as well as the importance of whānau and identity. The film speaks to the Stolen Generations, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children taken from their whānau in Australia.

The facts

• Directed by: Amiel Courtin-Wilson
• Language: English
• Runtime: 83 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was self-rated by Amazon. You can find out more about self-rating here.

Drug use

We see real-life use of hard drugs, including several scenes where:

• Heroin is prepared and injected into a man’s veins. We see his blood fill the needle.
• A man is shown under the influence of drugs, confused, with vacant and unfocused eyes.
• Drug use, drug dealing, and addiction are talked about at length, sometimes as a good thing and sometimes as a bad thing.

Crime

A man discusses the real-life burglaries he carried out in detail. We see the houses he burgled and the routes he took to escape. The same man later confesses to another more recent burglary on-camera and takes steps to avoid charges being laid.

Offensive language

We hear words like “f**k”, “sh*t”, and “b*tch” throughout the film.

Sexual violence

A man mentions the real-life sexual violence he experienced as a child and describes how it impacted his future relationships. The same man describes the sexual violence inflicted on his brother while in prison.

Suicide themes

A man, reflecting on his life, mentions that he has considered suicide previously.

Helplines

The real-life drug use, sexual violence, and suicide themes explored in this film could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through, or know someone who has gone through, similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen, please reach out for help:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?