Eddie Mabo Essay

472 Words2 Pages
The film Mabo demonstrates the importance of family in Eddie Mabo’s struggle for land rights. Discuss. The film “Mabo” directed by Rachel Perkins follows the legal and personal life of Edward Koiki Mabo, his landmark legal case that destroyed the concept of Terra Nullius. The film demonstrates the importance of family, with Koiki’s family members inspiring his decisions life lesson taught by his father that remind with him for life and his wife Bonita’s constant support to ensure he understands the importance of family. The importance of family is shown throughout the film where Koiki’s decisions are inspired by his family. Towards the beginning of the film, Koiki and Bonita are denied a hotel room, because of their race. Koiki tells Bonita, that he doesn’t “wanna raise (his son) up in this place,” and the family move to Townsville. This clearly demonstrates how many of Koiki’s decisions are inspired by his family. Koiki’s decisions are once again influenced by his family when his father is ill and he is denied access on to Murray Island. Fuelled by his anger towards not being able to see his dying father and that he cannot move his family back to Murray Island, Koiki begins his land right claim. Koiki’s reasons for making these significant decisions were inspired by his love for his family. Although Perkins’ Mabo addresses other issues such as the effects of discrimination and the role of the individual in creating change, it is true that there is a major focus on the meaning of family and the support it gives. The film shows the crucial importance of father son relationships, the strong relationship between Koiki and his adopted father Benny influence Koiki’s appeal to the land right. Perkins uses flashbacks to Koiki’s childhood with Benny tells him that “everything here is (his)” to demonstrate how Koiki’s strength derives from this primal
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