Film Spotlight: Wolfram.

Wolfram [directed by Warwick Thornton]

Set in 1930s Central Australia, Wolfram pulls no punches. It shines a light on a brutal and largely untold chapter of Australia's history — where Aboriginal children were taken and forced into labour in remote mining camps during the wolfram (tungsten) boom.

At its heart, though, this isn’t just a story about exploitation — it’s a story about survival, family, and resistance. Anchored by a powerful performance from Deborah Mailman, the film follows a mother searching for her stolen children, while others fight to escape and find freedom across a harsh and unforgiving landscape.

Thornton, whose earlier work [Sweet Country] redefined the Australian Western, once again uses the genre as a lens — but here, it feels more intimate, more urgent and is actually a loose sequel to Sweet Country. This is frontier storytelling stripped back to its emotional core. The cinematography is stark and haunting, the performances raw, and the atmosphere heavy with truth.

Importantly, Wolfram is more than just cinema — it’s reclamation. A story drawn from family histories and oral traditions, told by First Nations filmmakers, on their terms.

And that’s what makes it land so hard.

This isn’t an easy watch — nor should it be. But it’s an essential one. A film that challenges, educates, and reminds us that some of the most important Australian stories are only just beginning to be told.