Rabbit Proof Fence

In 1931 three small Aborigine girls are taken from their families and placed in an orphanage to be "cultured" by Australian authorities. Molly, Grace and Daisy escape and traverse 2,400 kilometers of Australian outback on their own, with track finders and police following hard on their heels. Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on this true story, written by the novelist Doris Pilkington. Her mother was one of the girls and the film led to a great debate in Australia on the treatment of the Aborigines, and not least "The Stolen Generation" who Pilkington´s mother belonged to. In February 2008 the Australian government presented an official apology to these Aborigines, showing the importance films can have.

To find the right actresses director Philip Noyce embarked on a search all over Australia. Noyce didn’t want professional actresses in the roles – he wanted an innocence that he thought only amateurs could have. They auditioned hundreds of girls until they found Everlyn Sampi. Never having been in front of a camera, she was a sensitive girl, unaccustomed to the great pressure on a film set. She broke down several times during the shoot but the result was perfect – she carries the film, tough and vulnerable at the same time. The film is a moving story about the courage, wisdom and effort of three girls. Roda Ahmed