You are here:

Manganinnie

Name: Manganinnie
Director: John Honey
Released: 1980
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

6.0/10

Fair

1980

Director

John Honey

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Manganinnie serves as a powerful piece of historical revisionism that challenges celebratory colonial narratives. By focusing on the Black Drive of 1830, the film centers the trauma of the Tasmanian Aborigines and the erasure of their culture. The film's primary strength lies in its intentionality in portraying racial struggle and the psychological impact of displacement. It successfully disrupts Western-centric histories by prioritizing indigenous ability to act and the reality of near-genocide. However, the film's scope is narrow, leaving categories like LGBTQ+ representation and disability unaddressed. While it excels in cultural critique, it remains focused on a specific historical ethnic tragedy.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Manganinnie have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include explicit references to LGBTQ+ identities or relationships that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Manganinnie portray gender?

Fair

The story follows Joanna's journey, offering a female perspective that departs from traditional, male-centric colonial narratives of historical tragedy.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Manganinnie?

Excellent

The film provides a deep critique of settler-colonialism by focusing on the near-genocide of the Tasmanian Aborigines. It prioritizes the indigenous experience and the grief of a vanished tribe.

How does Manganinnie represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critiques Western expansionism and the destructive nature of colonial institutions. It highlights the loss of tribal ways of life and the impact of systemic oppression.

Does Manganinnie include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information about the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film's narrative.

Present on Screen

Centers the indigenous experience and the tragedy of the Tasmanian Aborigines.
Provides a profound critique of settler-colonialism and Western expansionism.
Uses a female protagonist to offer a nuanced lens on historical loss.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight-centered structures.
No discernible information regarding disability representation.

Official Synopsis

Through lyrical images, Manganinnie journeys across mountains towards the coast with Joanna, a white girl, in search of Manganinnie's vanished tribe. The poignancy of this film derives from the Aboriginal woman's gradual realization that her people and the tribal way of life are forever gone. It is the story of the Black Drive of 1830, the near-genocide of the Tasmanian Aborigines.

How are these scores produced? →