AustLit

'An Aboriginal girl, lost and empty after the death of her mother, discovers her past in an unlikely place.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Prison Songs is billed as “Australia’s first musical documentary’ where the subjects express themselves through songs written by Casey Bennetto and Indigenous singer/songwriter Shellie Morris.'

It is captivating, heartbreaking, uplifting and unique.

'Watching prisoners singing and dancing in the unforgiving surrounds of the prison walls is inspiring stuff. Most of the male and female inmates are Indigenous, adding a poignancy to the documentary. The proportion of domestic violence, alcoholism and addiction in their stories is high.'

'Inmates break into hip hop, blues, country, reggae and gospel tunes as they sing about their backgrounds and their daily toil. There are solos, duos and group numbers performed in cells, workyards, laundries -musically giving us access to the personalities behind the prison cases.' (Source: TV Tonight website)

Songwriter Bob Randall, perhaps best known for 'My Brown-Skinned Baby,' was taken away from his parents while a young child. In this episode of Message Stick, he shares his experiences as one of the Stolen Generation, and recounts the years he spent attempting to find out who his parents were and where his family might be.

The episode also includes an interview with Dr Ruby Langford Ginibi and a short archival film about the adoption of Aboriginal children by white Australians.