Synopsis

For the first 70 years of this century, tens of thousands of Aboriginal babies and children were taken from their mothers and families by government officials and placed into institutions and foster homes. Cut off from their own people, language and customs, it was hoped Aboriginal people would 'disappear' and that what was left of them, would bleach and fade into white Australian society.

Alice, Gordon, Lola, and Carol Edwards were taken from their Tingha home in 1951 and put into institutions. Alice returned to Tingha when she was 18, met Henry Haines and had 3 children. She was pregnant with her 4th child, Christopher (Chris), when Henry died. Her life fell apart, and, the same welfare system that took her away from her mother, now came for her own children. The little ones were put into white foster families and homes. Chris, Alice's baby, was only 8 months old.

Cry From The Heart is the personal story of one Aboriginal family who suffered terrible trauma, grief, and loss through forcible separation from each other. The film takes up Chris' story of alienation, abuse, and loss, leading to his 10 year imprisonment and his becoming one of NSW's most dangerous inmates.

After a suicide attempt and in the depths of depression, Chis decided to turn his life around. He begins the journey of healing to break the cycle of damage that has haunted his family for generations. Chris, a brilliant artist, has decided to truly be there for his own child and, with open hearts and extraordinary courage, he and his siblings, Lola and Frank Edwards, tell their story.