Zach’s Ceremony

Growing up is never easy, especially when you are split between two drastically different worlds. Zach’s Ceremony is a powerful debut documentary by director Aaron Peterson that follows young Indigenous man Zach Domadgee for six years, from boyhood, aged 9 to the cusp of adulthood, aged 15. We see his struggle to belong in both his traditional tribal life in far north Queensland and in his inner-city life in Sydney, and the disconnect he feels between the two. It’s an inspirational coming-of-age story that shows the importance of culture and tradition, and how essential it is that this knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

Zach is a complex and charismatic young man coming to grips with his identity, Diaspora, his close relationship with his father Alec and the gaping hole where his mother should be, and the racism and bullying he endures. When he’s in Domadgee he’s called white and when he’s in Sydney he’s called black; he feels like he’s in the middle and doesn’t know himself. Zach’s relationship with his father is fascinating to watch, they are extremely close but also clash a lot. Their conversations are captivating and raw –  we see their vulnerable moments and also their arguments.

Zach and his family often visit Alec’s hometown of Domadgee, a remote town in the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Queensland. It’s where their family name comes from. The landscape shown in Queensland and also in the Northern Territory is breathtaking: red earth that stretches out far beyond the horizon juxtaposed with watering holes that have a spiritual beauty.

For the people of Domadgee, culture and country is a huge part of who they are and how they view themselves. If they don’t have that connection, they have no purpose. With a population of 1000, the high suicide rate amongst young men is a critical issue. The community never really recovered from the Brethren Missionaries who tried to wipe out Indigenous culture in the 1930s and they still feel ostracised.

In order to ‘become a man’, Zach takes part in the once-banned initiation ceremony. Amazingly, parts of the usually highly secret ceremony are shown. It is utterly mesmerising, a privilege to see. The entire ceremony lasts for about a week and the whole community gets involved: men, women and children. It’s considered one of the most important evens in a young Indigenous man’s life, it’s about learning respect and is a time for the elders to share their knowledge with the younger generations. Women make headdresses and chest plates for the boys out of wool and feathers, and the men instruct the uninitiated boys, called ‘Daru’, on cultural traditions such as how to make boomerangs.

Zach’s Ceremony is a fascinating documentary that gives a glimpse into traditional Indigenous culture, and how the struggle to balance the contrasting worlds of city and country impacts Zach and his family.

Zach’s Ceremony
In cinemas now
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