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A FILM BY LAURENCE BILLIET 
IN COLLABORATION WITH STEPHEN PAGE & BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE
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"As moving as it is exhilarating." 

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

 "An extraordinary documentary... Pure TV magic."

 HOLLY BYRNES, THE HERALD SUN

"I was completely invested in it."

LUKE BUCKMASTER, THE GUARDIAN

 "Seductive, sensuous, poetic... a creative artefact in its own right."

 GRAEME BLUNDELL, THE AUSTRALIAN

 "Gift yourself the time and watch it. Make sure your family and friends do as well. " 

BELINDA DUARTE, THE GUARDIAN

 "The best sport documentary I have ever seen."  

JACINDA PARSONS, THE FRIDAY REVIEW, ABC RADIO 774

"If your memories have dimmed, watch the documentary. If you’re too young to know anything about it, watch the documentary... If you were there and want to go jogging down memory lane, watch the documentary. You will get a tingle, and you will need some tissues."

WILL SWANTON, THE AUSTRALIAN

 "Every Australian should watch this." 

CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL SHOW, GOLD FM

 "Joyous and timely"

BRYAN ANDY, SCREENHUB

"One of the most uplifting and transcendent watches of the year, momentarily washing away the muck of 2020."

JUNKEE

“A sport documentary has completely overtaken the national consciousness... it’s a pop culture moment.”

BENJAMIN LAW, STOP EVERYTHING!, RADIO NATIONAL

“Goosebumps”: Everyone Was Absolutely Floored

By The ABC’s Cathy Freeman Documentary

JUNKEE

TRAILER

THE FILM.

Cathy Freeman’s win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics is undoubtedly one of the greatest collective experiences in Australian modern history. Watched by billions of people worldwide, the 400-metre sprint on the evening of September 25 had everyone from Sydney to Arnhem Land glued to the TV.

 

Twenty years later, FREEMAN explores the beauty of this singular moment and celebrates the power of human connection.

 

FREEMAN is a cinematic portrait of the 49 second race that is still etched in our hearts and minds. Drawing on archival footage and a series of intimate conversations with Cathy Freeman, the film takes viewers on a journey through Cathy’s remarkable sporting career and the frenzied build-up to September 2000. Cathy’s fast-paced climb to the top of the world is mirrored by the rise of a people’s movement supporting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians as her story becomes the symbol of a much larger struggle for equality.

Cathy’s inner experience  is brought to life by stunning performances from Lillian Banks of Bangarra Dance Theatre, as choreographed by Stephen Page, creating an emotionally-charged insight into Cathy’s spirit or mindset as she prepares to compete in 'the race of our lives'.

FREEMAN is the story of the nation coming together around an Indigenous Australian female athlete who delivered when it mattered, on the greatest stage on earth. The film sheds light on one of Australia’s proudest moment and explores why, twenty years on, it still means so much to so many of us.

AWARDS

Winner, Best Direction in a TV/SVOD one-hour documentary
Australian Directors'Guild 2021

Winner, 
Prix Spécial du Jury
FIFO 2021 
Festival international du film océanien

Winner, Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting
NSW Premier Literary Awards 2021

Winner, Digital History Prize
NSW Premier History Awards 2021

Nominated, Best Cinematography in a Documentary
Nominated, Best Editing in a Documentary
Nominated, Best Original Score in a Documentary
Nominated, Best Sound Design in a Documentary

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards (AACTA) 2021

Nominated, Best Documentary - General
Nominated, Best Documentary - Biography

ATOM Awards 2021

Nominated, Feature Documentary Production of the Year
Screen Producers Association Awards 2022

Official Selection
Doc Edge 2021

Highly commended,
Best Sport Profile – Broadcast  
Sport Australia Media Awards 2021

 
Nominated, Best Documentary - Single
AIDC Awards 2021

WHERE TO WATCH
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FREEMAN premiered on ABC TV + iview and was the most watched documentary of 2020 on Australian TV. 

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“Nothing can prepare you for that kind of pressure... or responsibility... I am 47 years old and and I have to start to take that responsibility seriously. By that, I mean give myself permission to share the story in its entirety."

CATHY FREEMAN

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THE MAKERS
FREEMAN film directed by Laurence Billiet - Seymour Center shoot

THE MAKERS.

WRITTEN, PRODUCED & DIRECTED BY 

LAURENCE BILLIET

 

CO-DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY 

STEPHEN PAGE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 

HELEN PANCKHURST 

ARCHIVE PRODUCER 

CATHERINE PANCZAK

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER 

JOANY SZE

EDITOR 

DANIEL WIECKMANN

ASSEMBLY EDITOR

KATIE FLAXMAN

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

BONNIE ELLIOTT ACS

MUSIC COMPOSER 

JAMES HENRY

SOUND DESIGN 

BYRON SCULLIN

PRODUCTION DESIGNER 

JACOB NASH

SCRIPT EDITOR

RACHAEL ANTONY

ASSISTANT EDITOR

STUART WILLIS

AND FEATURING 

CATHERINE FREEMAN

& DANCER

LILLIAN BANKS

 IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ABC AND FILM VICTORIA

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DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE BY

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