Will McCallum – Encounters Onscreen: Binding Makassar to Marege’ in Waŋgany Mala

2025 Global Encounters Network Seminar Series Thursday 20 March 2025 Topic – Encounters Onscreen: Binding Makassar to Marege’ in Waŋgany Mala Speaker – Will McCallum, Deakin University In this seminar, filmmaker Will McCallum discusses his feature-length documentary Waŋgany Mala (2024) in conversation with Distinguished Professor Lynette Russell AM. Waŋgany Mala follows the journey of Nirmala as she works on the construction of a traditional pinisi sailboat in South Sulawesi, learns to sail, and discovers her region’s ongoing connections to Marege’ – the Makassan name for Arnhem Land. Filmed over five years in collaboration with Anindilyakwa and Yolŋgu communities, and featuring rarely seen footage, photographs and artwork, the film amplifies proud stories of connection – and imagines a future where the Timor and Arafura seas are bridges rather than borders.