History Through Film: William Yang - Blood Links

Renowned Australian artist William Yang traces the web of his family history in this adaptation of his iconic live performance piece. Both William Yang’s paternal and maternal grandfathers came to Australia from the south of China in the 1880s to dig for gold.

William grew up on a tobacco farm in Dimbulah in North Queensland and was brought up as an assimilated Australian with his Chinese side denied and unacknowledged. In his midlife William claimed his Chinese heritage. This led him to research his own family. William's transatlantic exploration of his genealogy unites him with scores of relatives from all walks of life, some rich, but most ordinary folk with menial jobs, and most cannot speak a word of Chinese.

Our monthly History Through Film series is a great opportunity to view documentary films showcasing the history of our nation. After the film, we can also show you how to access many more documentaries at home using Kanopy, absolutely free!