Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria

It was such a privilege to join the team at FemiliPNG Australia in Canberra last week as they hosted a screening of our short film Wounded Warriors. Filmed in Papua New Guinea and Australia, Wounded Warriors is a powerful film that addresses the issue of family violence while challenging the misconceptions that contribute to its perpetuation. Through traditional storytelling, the film engages its audience on both cultural and emotional levels, prompting reflection on personal experiences and societal norms. It emphasises that family violence is not a part of Melanesian or indigenous cultures, but rather a result of intergenerational trauma that has been passed down and mistakenly accepted as "culture." The film encourages viewers to recognise that normalising family violence holds no value and calls for collective efforts to eradicate it and foster healing within communities. A big thank you to PNG High Commissioner John Kali for connecting us with FemiliPNG Australia and CEO Lauren Hallett, her team Kate Nyhan and Jaida Damstra for all the amazing work behind hosting Wounded Warriors. We look forward to taking this to Papua New Guinea! #itsnotourculture Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria Richard J. S.

Last night, I had the privilege of attending the Canberra premiere of Wounded Warriors, hosted by FemiliPNG Australia. This powerful film explores the critical and challenging issue of the generational cycles of trauma in Papua New Guinea. Wounded Warriors shines a light on the often-hidden world of family violence, exposing the damaging social habits and role modelling that perpetuate these cycles. It is a confronting but necessary film, tackling the difficult conversation around the role of perpetrators and the intergenerational trauma passed down within families, as well as difficulties in breaking those cycles.  The panel discussion with the filmmakers was particularly striking. Two reflections of the panellists stood out: Michelene Erbes from the Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria spoke of the challenges they have faced through the #ItsNotOurCulture campaign around confronting violence as a cultural norm through sharing the stories of survivors. The feature film has provided a different type of storytelling, opening the space for discussion on norms around trauma and violence and the importance of breaking these cycles in PNG. Director Richard J. Sergeant spoke to the process of filming the movie with villagers in PNG and the discussions that took place as they were introduced to the script and subject – again reflecting the initial hesitation and difficulty of upfront discussions on this topic. A huge thank you to the filmmakers and everyone involved in making this event possible. This work is vital in building a much-needed conversation about ending family violence and ensuring a safer future for the generations to come – an important conversation for both PNG as well as in #Australia. Femili PNG Lauren Hallett Fiona Brown Kate Nyhan Hannah Wheaton Jaida Damstra Stephen Howes #WoundedWarriorsFilm #EndFamilyViolence #EndDomesticViolence #IntergenerationalTrauma #BreakTheCycle

We had such an awesome day hosting the second screening of our short film Wounded Warriors with community in Melbourne last Saturday! We are so grateful to everyone who joined us and supported the many causes of the event! Big shout out to: • Team PNG Harmony CUP II Rugby 2024 NRL VIC and their management Marlin and Molly Kombo for all their support! • Lisa Hili for moderating our insightful panel discussion with WW director & filmmaker Richard Sergeant, emerging young leader Celina Anderson, Ayervedic counsellor Didileia Worth and mental health practitioner Diana Berberi. • Rod Ceballos Ceballos for film & photography • Aheda Kitchen for the amazing catering Footscray Community Arts for all their amazing staff and support! • Maidens Of Polynesia • F7 Soul Drummers • Kwabo Afro Tribe by KWABO Events • The Black Sistaz • Waka Viti

Last night, I had the privilege of attending the Canberra premiere of Wounded Warriors, hosted by FemiliPNG Australia. This powerful film explores the critical and challenging issue of the generational cycles of trauma in Papua New Guinea. Wounded Warriors shines a light on the often-hidden world of family violence, exposing the damaging social habits and role modelling that perpetuate these cycles. It is a confronting but necessary film, tackling the difficult conversation around the role of perpetrators and the intergenerational trauma passed down within families, as well as difficulties in breaking those cycles.  The panel discussion with the filmmakers was particularly striking. Two reflections of the panellists stood out: Michelene Erbes from the Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria spoke of the challenges they have faced through the #ItsNotOurCulture campaign around confronting violence as a cultural norm through sharing the stories of survivors. The feature film has provided a different type of storytelling, opening the space for discussion on norms around trauma and violence and the importance of breaking these cycles in PNG. Director Richard J. Sergeant spoke to the process of filming the movie with villagers in PNG and the discussions that took place as they were introduced to the script and subject – again reflecting the initial hesitation and difficulty of upfront discussions on this topic. A huge thank you to the filmmakers and everyone involved in making this event possible. This work is vital in building a much-needed conversation about ending family violence and ensuring a safer future for the generations to come – an important conversation for both PNG as well as in #Australia. Femili PNG Lauren Hallett Fiona Brown Kate Nyhan Hannah Wheaton Jaida Damstra Stephen Howes #WoundedWarriorsFilm #EndFamilyViolence #EndDomesticViolence #IntergenerationalTrauma #BreakTheCycle

Join us in Canberra on Wednesday 4th September for a screening of the incredible film, Wounded Warriors! Wounded Warriors follows a young Papua New Guinean father on his journey to breaking the cycle of intergenerational violence. The Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria produced the film with PNG-Australian film crew, Zolard Media, as part of the #ItsNotOurCulture campaign. Funded by the Victoria State Government (Victorian Government), the campaign aims to end harmful narratives around intergenerational cycles of violence, and to raise awareness of family and gender-based violence in PNG. Proceeds from the night will support FemiliPNG Australia and PNGWAV's work to address family violence in PNG. Purchase tickets via the link below: https://lnkd.in/g6sgd5-T

Come join us for a day filled with fun at Footscray Community Arts Centre! We're hosting a special event for community to come out to the second exclusive screening of our short film Wounded Warriors. Starting the day off with some awesome dance workshops from Kwabo Events and Maidens of Polynesia followed by a performance by Cook Island drummers and string band F7 Soul Drummers, including a Wellness Marketplace to explore. Enjoy a movie screening, insightful discussions with a panel of guest speakers hosted by scholar and artist Lisa Hilli, followed by a dinner buffet of Palestinian cusine. Ticket proceeds go towards sponsoring the local PNG Harmony Cup II rugby team. Don't miss out on this opportunity! Limited tickets available. https://lnkd.in/gFbHTAaQ

It’s great to see that our film Wounded Warriors not only spreads a powerful message for social change, but can be an inspiration for young and emerging creators in the film and arts industries to pursue their passions. We love any opportunity to support local and emerging businesses! #communityempowerment https://lnkd.in/gacJbUmR

It’s been 3 years since we first started the #itsnotourculture project and the premiere last week was the absolute highlight! We screened our short film Wounded Warriors to a sold out audience of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures - all coming together to learn more and support such a cause. We were honoured by the presence of Papua New Guinea’s high commissioner John Kali as our guest, who was so moved by the film that he is eager for us to take it further in Australia and PNG. We hope this film plants a seed that inspires social change and collective healing. Big thank you to all those who joined us at the premiere and those who joined us in spirit! And also a big thank you to John Richard S. and his team at Zolard Media for bringing our project to life! #itsnotourculture #woundedwarriorsfilm #intergenerationaltrauma #familyviolenceprevention

It was a privilege to be interviewed by veteran PNG journalist Caroline Tiriman after the premiere of our short film Wounded Warriors to discuss the background of where the inspiration to create the film came from. Particularly, our focus on intergenerational trauma and how we shifted the typical perspective to highlight the story of the perpetrator as opposed to only the victim. The premier had such a positive impact that we really look forward to the film continuing to contribute to greater social change. Thank you to the Papua New Guinea Women's Association of Victoria for being the platform for such a project! #itsnotourculture #familyviolence #genderbasedviolence #intergenerationaltrauma