Robert Long

Our Colours Never Fade

ByProf. Robert Long

Last evening, I went to the Australian premier of the film Our Colours Never Fade (https://www.ourcolorsneverfade.com/). The Director of the film is Jim McSherry and Producer Karl Hillbrick.

I was invited to the film because Karl was a student of mine 37 years ago in High School. We have kept tabs on facebook for many years. You can read about the work of Karl here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10135451/

The film was about the war in Ukraine and how LGBTQIA+ people have been fighting for their country. A synopsis is here: https://www.ourcolorsneverfade.com/synopsis

One of many themes in the film were: risk, suffering, prejudice, harm, meaning, purpose, safety and community. The film interviewed LGBTQIA+ people as soldiers and combatants in a war not of their choosing (safety is a choice you make) and how their sexual orientation added significant complexity to their suffering.

In Our Colours Never Fade no-one is safe, everyone has a job to do and there seems no end to suffering and death. And yet, in the midst of all this, are these people (approximately 26,000 of the Ukraine army) who just want to be accepted as people, like any other fighter in their cause. But, if their partner is killed, they have no rights to a will as do others. If their partner is killed, they have no rights to access the body as others.

So, the film was about suffering and prejudice within suffering and prejudice.

The people who were interviewed for the film, who told their story, spoke of hope and love.

It was a graphic film with very confronting images where the idea of safety simply didn’t make sense. It was a necessarily confronting film for someone in a comfortable safe country where the LGBTQIA+ community have better (although not fully) rights. It was a film that brought to the surface all the problems of prejudice, injustice and discrimination.

A statement from the Director can be read here: https://www.ourcolorsneverfade.com/directors-statement

If the film comes to your location, I suggest you watch it.

Enquiries can be made here: https://www.ourcolorsneverfade.com/contact

 

Prof. Robert Long

Prof. Robert Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Prof. Robert Long

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Prof. Robert Long
PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.

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