Deborah Mailman joins Flick Ford on Primal Screen to discuss Wolfram, Warwick Thornton’s spiritual follow-up to Sweet Country. Set in Central Australia, 1932 and inspired by family stories from Thornton and writer David Tranter, the film centres on Pansy, a mother longing for the return of her stolen children, as three children escape forced labour in the wolfram mines.

Deborah reflects on the privilege and responsibility of telling First Nations stories, and her long creative connection with Thornton, who was the cinematographer on her first film role in Rachel Perkins' Radiance. She also speaks on playing Pansy, a woman of few words, guided by silence, sign language, Country, and the weight of stories passed down through family and community.

The conversation looks back across Mailman’s remarkable career, from Rabbit-Proof Fence and The Sapphires to Total Control, Play School and Bluey. For Deborah, Wolfram is a story of survival and hope, and one she’s especially eager to see shared with community.

Wolram is showing nation-wide.