by FIlmInk Staff
Yurlu | Country was announced as the winner of the 2025 Walkey Documentary Award at the Walkley Awards ceremony in Sydney last night.
Yurlu | Country is a feature documentary from six-time Walkley Award winning Australian director Yaara Bou Melhem, co-created with Banjima Elder Maitland Parker, which immerses us in Maitland’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland in the Pilbara, scarred by the worst contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.
Written and Executive Produced by Maitland Parker, Yurlu | Country delves into the devastating impact of asbestos mining in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Parker called his homeland ‘Poison Country’, a name reflecting the toxic legacy of blue asbestos mines in Wittenoom, WA which closed almost 60 years ago but left behind millions of tonnes of toxic waste laced with deadly asbestos fibres.
Set against the breathtaking yet contaminated landscapes of the Pilbara, the film highlights Parker’s efforts to heal his homeland while grappling with his own battle with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. From the campfire to his hospital bedside, Yurlu | Country follows Maitland’s battle for justice and the environment, and his unbreakable bond with Country.
“Maitland Parker and his family bravely brought us into their lives so that together, we could bring this largely ‘out of sight, out of mind’ issue into full view. This film has become more than a documentary, but a movement to heal Banjima Country. Receiving a Walkley – the highest honour in Australian journalism is huge for propelling Banjima people’s campaign to clean up Wittenoom on the national stage,” Bou Melhem said.
The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival and has played across Australia in festivals and cinemas and is currently screening in cinemas in most capital cities.
The Walkley Award comes off the back of international wins for Best International Feature Documentary at Buffalo International Film Festival, Edge of Impact Award at Doc Edge Festival and industry accolades for Best Music in a Documentary at the APRAs.
The feature documentary is produced by Illuminate Films with Yaara Bou Melhem also Writing and Producing, James Saunders serving as Co-producer, Tom Bannigan ACS as Co-producer & Cinematographer and Chris Kamen as Executive Producer.
Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Martidja Banyjima, with support from Screen NSW and Shark Island Foundation and released in Australia and New Zealand by Bonsai Films.
