SBIFF: The Last Daughter honored with ADL Stand Up Award
THIS YEAR’S ADL STAND UP AWARD at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) will go to The Last Daughter, a feature documentary about an Australian woman’s quest to piece together memories of two loving families — one white and one Aboriginal — that a government program separated her from.
“The Last Daughter is a chilling account of injustice revealed through Brenda Matthews’ investigation of her own memories fogged by trauma, discrimination, and government disinformation,” said ADL Regional Director Dan Meisel. “The impetus for Brenda’s exploration of the past remarkably was not anger, but rather a naggingly pleasant memory of affection that she ultimately weaves into a triumph of love over injustice and racial tension. Our jury is pleased to honor this filmmaker and her team for their stand on behalf of many similarly harmed children and families.”
A jury of ADL staff and supporters annually present the ADL Stand Up Award to a film in the festival that exemplifies the impact storytelling can have in fostering mutual understanding and respect, consistent with ADL’s over 100-year-old mission “to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” The award is sponsored this year by the Skinner Social Impact Fund and Steve and Cindy Lyons.
“We at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival are thrilled that The Last Daughter is being recognized for the profoundly moving, important, and deftly-told story it weaves,” said SBIFF Director of Programming Claudia Puig. “We are very proud to introduce this tenderly crafted and uplifting documentary to American audiences. The Last Daughter grapples with institutionalized racism as it recounts an indigenous woman’s search for truth, reconciliation, and healing. We are deeply grateful to Brenda Matthews for sharing her journey.”
The Last Daughter was directed by Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt, and it was produced by Brendon Skinner and Simon Williams. It is a nominee for the 2024 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Best Documentary Award. “I humbly accept the ADL Stand Up Award,” said Matthews. “I thank my black and white families for their love, support, and for being there for me while going back to such a hurtful time in all of our lives, so that we can share truth and forgiveness. The Last Daughter documentary is a lived experience, a story that invites others in, where they can find their entry point into the circle. Finding a connection to the story through their own lived experience.”
The Last Daughter will make its North American premiere in an ADL-sponsored screening on Tuesday, February 13th, at 5:40pm at the Metro 4 Theatre, followed by a Q&A with Matthews. The film is scheduled to screen again on Thursday, February 15th at noon at Metro 4.
