In Visible Ink - Episode 3: Illuminating the Darkness, shining a light on forgotten history through film (2021)

MFTWA

In Visible Ink is a Museum of Freedom and Tolerance endeavour that makes visible the invisible. Through sharing and amplifying stories, histories, art, conversations and projects that inspire people to see differently, it aims to make changes towards a more just world.

The Furnace is a Western Australian film that illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the Nation’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people. It shines a light on a crucial yet little known chapter of Australia’s history, celebrating the cultural diversity of early pioneers.

We convened a screening of The Furnace and a following conversation about the importance of shining a light and giving visibility to the multiple and diverse histories of the Australian landscape.

This discussion includes our incredible speakers (bios below):

• Affy Bhatti (Chair)
• Roderick MacKay
• Harjit Singh
• Rosie Sitorous
• Gary Bonney
• and features a short clip with the voice of Godfrey Simpson

Speaker biographies:

Affy Bhatti (Chair) is a British Pakistani man in Australia. He is Director of The Crescent Institute, Co-Founder of the Muslim Professional Network Perth, and a Management Consultant. Affy was a key supporter of The Furnace and assisted production with consultation within the Australian Muslim community.

Roderick MacKay is a writer/director from Perth, Western Australia. With a formal training in visual arts, Roderick is a highly visual storyteller. In 2020, Roderick's debut feature film, The Furnace, premiered as part of the official selection for the 77th Venice Film Festival. Roderick's short films include Trigger and Factory 293.

Rosie Sitorous is an emerging writer based in Western Australia. She has an established creative practice in spoken word performance, music and comedy, and works as a linguist with rural, regional and remote Aboriginal communities. Much of Rosie’s writing reflects on her relationship with her late mother, a great influence on her love of language, as well as her search, as a ‘third culture kid’, for place and belonging in contemporary Australia. Rosie consulted for The Furnace on the Badimia language along with Godfrey Simpson.

Gary Bonney is an educator and storyteller and has undertaken a number of roles in regional and remote areas of Western Australia. Gary’s experience has included work in secondary education, with at risk youth, young people in residential settings and with Indigenous people in the Goldfields and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. Gary has a passion for working in community with marginalised people, and educating others to increase awareness, access, social equity and understanding. Gary is an early career screenwriter and works with Revelation Film Festival and was Associate Producer for The Furnace.

Harjit Singh is one of the founders of the Australian Sikh Heritage Association which documents and shares history on the early contribution of Sikhs in Australia. Harjit is also one of the founders of Turbans and Trust, which has generated over 10,000 one on one conversations between strangers to build an understanding of respect and equality. Harjit’s passion for civil rights has driven him to work on close to a hundred civil rights matters across Australia, building understanding without confrontation wherever possible. Harjit wants the turban to be recognised as being just as Australian as the Akubra! Harjit worked as the primary Sikh Consultant on The Furnace.