A campaign has been established to recognise an Aboriginal past, rather than a 'white myth' in regards to the film 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.

Titled "Miranda Must Go", Ms Amy Spiers believes people must understand the Aboriginal history of Hanging Rock, not a story based upon fiction. She says Aboriginal people in the area died of smallpox, colonial murder or were taken to an Aboriginal Reserve.

My concern though is about the impacts such a campaign would have on others, if it was to succeed, in terms of its outcome. For example, currently there are many authors, film makers and those in theatre internationally who write fiction, and it is something which has kept such sectors going in a day and age of technology.

With the skills of writing, should these people always have to face the prospect of "telling the truth" and become tired of being put through such a practice?

This politically correct drive is in my view a gross violation of basic individual rights.

Dear Nathan,

I don't think that writers or film-makers have much
to be concerned about. All PhD student Amy Spiers is trying
to do is point out that there is a "broader tapestry"
to Hanging Rock then Joan Lindsay's novel and Peter Weir's
iconic film. The book and the film are part of that story - but
there is also a significant part of the story that hasn't been told
and that is its Indigenous history, including its Indigenous name.
The focus thus far has been only on one aspect of the popular
culture surrounding Hanging Rock - and that has been on the
novel and the film. Amy Spiers is trying to tell a broader story.
We should support that.

"should these people always have to face the prospect of "telling the truth" .
I'm sick of it , all the news was just truth and it's so not. We need alternatives and viral bites and if Trump doesn't like it he's a fake.

Nathan,

Movies such as picnic at hanging rock are only loosely based on past events or they would be documentaries, and be seen by tiny audiences.

I second Foxy's motion.

<<All PhD student Amy Spiers is trying to do is point out that there is a "broader tapestry"...>>

My concern with that logic, is that if I was an author and decided to write a book about something that related to a particular site, that may be 100% fiction, some may be very offended by that because it does not tell the truth. This could include something like a horrible crime that occurred during a world war, times under Adolf Hitler or in this case issues related to Aboriginal history.

If someone wants to take on the matter of getting a broader message out to people, in the case of fact, I have no problem with that, but pressure should not be placed on playwrights, authors, film producers or those in related realms.

It is not fair to place pressure on anyone and writing, film making and being involved in the theatrical sector is a strong skill to have, and involves freedom of expression. To expect these people to "fill a void" because someone else wants truth out in the public sphere is a work load that these people should not be forced to take on.

In this case though, if Amy Spiers, wants the public to know more about the Hanging Rock element and its Aboriginal connections, she could take that workload on herself and find someone else willing to assist, if she really believes the cause is one to take further.