A vivid ode to Country and an intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere. Banjima Country lies within the remote red gorges of Western Australia’s Pilbara, scarred by the Wittenoom asbestos mines which dumped millions of tons of lethal asbestos tailings. The late Banjima Elder, Maitland Parker, called his Yurlu (country) « Poison Country » – a haunting truth he carried in his body, as he too fell victim to its toxic legacy. Diagnosed with mesothelioma, Maitland’s health declines rapidly, but his resolve grows stronger. As his family of great-grandchildren grows, so does his determination to complete his unfinished work.

Cleanup of Australia’s own Chernobyl-like disaster—Wittenoom, the largest asbestos-contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 3 million tons of toxic tailings poison Banjima Country, violating Native Title land rights and contravening Article 29 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Elder Maitland Parker spent his life fighting for a cleanup. This film exposes the ongoing disaster and makes a compelling and emotive case for restoring ecological restoration, and in turn, our health. Why Now? - The 2025 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Rights theme is the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - an opportunity to use this film as a convening tool. - 2026 marks 60 years of inaction. – make this decade count by cleaning up Wittenoom.