A powerful new documentary follows Yolŋu mothers, grandmothers, leaders and health workers as they work to bring birthing back on Country, shining a light on First Nations maternity care and self-determination.
MAYPILAMA: Keel Line of Creation documents Yolŋu Elder and Professor Ḻäwurrpa Maypilama’s mission to return Birthing on Country through the Galiwin’ku Djakamirr Program.
“The documentary is important for midwives, doctors and nurses who are working across two ways to learn from the film,” Professor Maypilama said.
Captured over three years in Galiwin’ku and across the mainland of Yolŋu Country in north-east Arnhem Land, the documentary follows Professor Maypilama as she navigates ancestral laws, colonial resistance and legal complexities to centre sovereignty, women’s power and cultural survival.
The film will premiere in the Northern Territory at the Deckchair Cinema this Thursday 25 June, followed by its national premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on 11 July.
The film builds on the team’s award-winning documentary DJÄKAMIRR, which invited audiences into Yolŋu women’s culture and shared their aspirations for maternity services grounded in community, kinship and cultural authority.
Professor Maypilama, a Senior Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) Molly Wardaguga Research Institute for First Nations Birth Rights, said the documentary would deepen understanding of Birthing on Country.
“[It’s] good for us (Yolŋu) to know about learning in a Balanda world. We all have to make a commitment to ourselves to put others first.”
In the film, Professor Maypilama is joined by Associate Professor of Innovation and Impact Sarah Ireland, also from the Molly Wardaguga Research Institute, who is part of the research team and a co-writer and producer.
“Birthing on Country is internationally recognised as a model that improves health outcomes, but for Yolŋu people it is about much more than healthcare,” Associate Professor Ireland said.
“It is about restoring dignity, cultural continuity and the right of families to welcome children into the world surrounded by their language, culture and kinship systems.
“At a time when conversations about Closing the Gap often focus on deficits, this project shines a light on First Nations innovation, leadership and solutions. It demonstrates what becomes possible when communities are trusted to lead.”
MAYPILAMA was filmed by Belgium filmmaker Pat Josse, who worked alongside Professor Maypilama and Associate Professor Ireland to develop this powerful continuation of the DJÄKAMIRR story.
“It [documentary] gives me energy to keep working and moving forward. [We’re] focusing on new ways and new pathways to give them [kids] strength for the future,” Professor Maypilama said.
“I hope viewers come away with a deeper understanding that birth is not simply a medical event—it is a cultural, social and spiritual experience that shapes families and communities,” Associate Professor Ireland said.
“Most importantly, I want viewers to recognise that Birthing on Country is not about returning to the past. It is about creating a future where the world’s oldest living cultures and contemporary healthcare can work together to give every child the strongest possible start in life.”
Tickets are available for the Northern Territory premiere of Maypilama: Keel Line of Creation at Deckchair Cinema on 25 June, and for the national premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on 11 July.
More information is available on the documentary here
