'Nigger' documentary premiers to packed Opera House

A documentary detailing USQ academic Stephen Hagan's fight to have the word ‘Nigger' removed from a Toowoomba sports ground has premiered at the Opera House in Sydney.

‘Nigger Lovers', which was directed by Stephen's wife Rhonda, was shown at the Indigenous Message Sticks film festival.

Stephen and fellow USQ academic Daryl Sparkes were co-producers and writers of the documentary.

'There were all sorts of documentaries and short films at the festival, including ours, which was played to a packed audience at the Opera House,' Stephen said.

'Afterwards we had a question and answer with the crowd and they were appalled by the Australian Government's failure in 2003 to take the direction of the United Nations to remove the offending word from the E. S. ‘Nigger' Brown Stand.'

After successfully applying with the Australian Film Commission (AFC) to produce the documentary last year, Stephen said that it was gratifying to see a years worth of hard work pay off.

'In June last year, the AFC sent out a call to Indigenous communities nationwide looking for ideas for documentaries,' he said.

'The idea was that the director had to be Indigenous, so that they could get the opportunity to get into directing.

'Daryl Sparkes and Rhonda submitted a proposal to the AFC and we were one of five documentaries funded.'

With a $120,000 budget, Stephen and his team travelled across Australia's East Coast interviewing everyone from local Indigenous people to the Australian leader of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK).

'We were in Herberton, Sydney, Byron Bay, Woodford, Brisbane and Toowoomba shooting the documentary,' Mr Hagan said.

'During that time we talked to some interesting people, including the Australian leader of the KKK, who many in the audience at the Opera House were also appalled by.'

The documentary will be shown on ABC TV in July this year, with the film also in line to be screened at various festivals across the globe.

'We are going to nominate the film to be shown at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals as well as others all around the world,' Mr Hagan said.

Media Contact: Josh Ada, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 1628