by FilmInk Staff
The must-watch four-part documentary premieres Tuesday 10 November at 8:30pm on SBS and NITV
Stream free on SBS On Demand from 10 November
Unseen police body-worn footage, community-shot vision and extraordinary access to those at the centre of the case bring audiences inside the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback.
Premiering on Tuesday 10 November at 8:30pm on SBS and NITV and continuing 11, 17 and 18 November, the four-part series recounts the events leading to the shooting, the criminal trial and the aftermath for the people whose lives were changed.
Produced and directed by Blackfella Films’ Darren Dale and filmed in the Northern Territory, the series offers an unflinching account of one of Australia’s most polarising criminal cases.
A Night That Changed Everything
In the remote Northern Territory community of Yuendumu, 19-year-old Warlpiri Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker was shot during an attempted arrest inside his grandmother’s home and later died in police custody. Three shots were fired. Zachary Rolfe, a 28-year-old NT police officer from Canberra, was charged with murder and later acquitted by a jury. But what was the full story?
Inside The Case
Through gripping unseen police body-worn footage, raw family and user generated archive and incredible witness accounts, including family members and police officers, the series explores what really happened in those 2.6 seconds.
In his directorial debut, Dale takes viewers on a cinematic blow-by-blow account of the shooting and its aftermath and exposes the shocking story behind the headlines. The series culminates in a revelation that still sees a community, a police force and a nation grappling with its implications today.
Beyond the Headlines
The series examines the events leading up to Walker’s death and the broader systems that shaped both men’s lives, exploring questions of justice, policing and race through the experiences of those at the centre of the case.
Tracing the chain of decisions and circumstances that brought Walker and Rolfe together that day, the series asks: did it have to end this way?
Director & Producer, Blackfella Films, Darren Dale said: “What happened in those 2.6 seconds made headlines across Australia. We wanted to take audiences inside the story, close to the people and the decisions that brought us to that moment. The unseen footage and firsthand accounts give this series an extraordinary immediacy. It’s an unflinching examination of what happened and what followed, driven by a question that stayed with me throughout: did it have to end this way?”
SBS Senior Commissioning Editor – Factual, Bethan Arwel-Lewis and NITV Senior Commissioning Editor, Cieron Cody said: “Blackfella Films has created a true-crime masterpiece here. Their remarkable access to such revealing footage both from the police and Kumanjayi’s family and community, creates a unique viewing experience and puts the viewer right in the heart of the story, as events and shocking revelations unfold. The series will not only shock you but will also make you really think about the country we want to live in today.”
Screen Australia Head of First Nations Content, Gillian Moody-Ardler said: “Darren Dale’s directorial debut is a compelling and culturally significant series that reaches far beyond the headlines. From the award-winning team at Blackfella Films, Darren and the team have crafted an unflinching exploration of the truth and confronting complex questions with integrity and insight. Through collaboration with family members of Kumanjayi Walker, and access to unseen police footage, 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback is revelatory viewing and a timely invitation to consider who we are as a nation.”
