When the film team got to know that Kevin Rudd, the new Prime Miniser of Australia was going to offer the first official apology to the Aboriginal people in Australia, we decided spontaneously to travel to that historic moment in the capital town. Together with thousands of people we gathered in front of the Parliament in Canberra to listen to Rudd´s speech that was shown on big screens.

The apology was offered to all Aborigines and especially the „Stolen Generation“ for their „profound grief, suffering and loss“ in a statement held in Parliament. It was being televised all over the nation with public screenings in several towns.

The term „Stolen generation“ refers to a government practice that took place until 1970: Under a policy of „assimilation“ children have been taken away from their Aboriginal families and were put into institutions or white families. This caused a lot of pain and suffering to the Aboriginal people and the long term effects can still be seen today.

The official apology of the government for this practice is meant to help with an emotional reconciliation with the past.  But „saying sorry is not enough“ is a slogan that we read several times in Canberra. Claims for compensations and calls for improving the situation of Aboriginal people in Australia were getting loud.