EMILY: I AM KAM
Australia / 2025 / 60 min / DCP

Directed by Danielle MacLean

Production : Anna Grieve

FIFO 2026, Le Nayrac Australina Film Festival 2026

This documentary explores the rich body of work of one of Australia’s greatest Aboriginal painters, Emily Kam Kngwarray, and how she used her art to protect her land, Alhalker. The film follows her descendants as they revive awely ceremonies and collaborate on a major retrospective exhibition, helping us to better understand who she was and why she painted. Archival recordings give Kngwarray a voice, revealing a life shaped by her connection to the land and her community, and whose legacy extends far beyond her paintings.

Danielle MacLean

Based in the Northern Territory, Danielle MacLean is an award-winning Warumungu/​Luritja writer, director, and producer, whose work spans drama, animation and documentary, with a deep commitment to First Nations storytelling. She is the writer, director, and co-producer of Emily: I Am Kam, a one-hour documentary exploring the life and legacy of iconic Aboriginal artist Emily Kam Kngwarray. Danielle’s past credits include writing on the acclaimed dramas Mystery Road, True Colours, Redfern Now and co-produced Logie nominated children’s series Barrumbi Kids, as well as co-writing and co-producing the celebrated AIDC winning documentary Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky. Danielle wrote and directed the animated chapter of anthology feature We Are Still Here and Co directed (with Sal Balharrie) feature documentary Like My Brother. Danielle is a founding partner of Tamarind Tree Pictures and continues to centre First Nations voices and perspectives in her work, crafting stories that are both deeply personal and universally powerful..