Synopsis

There are still some pristine places on earth, untouched by industrialisation and urbanisation. But for how long?

The Kimberley region in Western Australia is the scene of a major struggle by Aboriginal people to protect their land from a huge development planned by the conservative Premier of WA, Colin Barnett, and the oil and gas corporation, Woodside. With government support, Woodside plans to build one of the largest liquefied natural gas plants in the world, in the Kimberley wilderness.

French filmmaker, Eugenie Dumont spent many months in the Kimberleys with the protesters against the plant. Heritage Fight is a powerful portrait of the Aboriginal people at the heart of the struggle - the traditional owners of the area, the Goolarabooloo people.

The film questions, listens to, and quotes scientists, activists, politicians and businessmen, as well as the Goolarabooloo people, to bring a broad perspective to this issue. The role of the citizens of Broome is also depicted: it was a battle in which the Aboriginal people and the towns-people fought hand in hand, and the Goolarabooloo would not have won the battle without their support.

On what the citizens of nearby Broome call “Black Tuesday”, 120 policemen came from Perth to end the protesters’ “blockade”, to allow Woodside to begin exploration work although it hadn’t acquired all legal approvals. History is made in front of the camera, as we observe the clash between protesters and the police, and witness abusive arrests and the use of force.