Award-winning Gippsland filmmaker Danielle McAlpine Johnson is calling for local women to add their voices to a ground-breaking new Australian documentary.
Rural Daughters, the feature-length documentary by CheekyMac Productions, will feature some of Australia’s most inspiring rural women in their efforts to overcome barriers, effect change and live successful lives in the regions.
As part of the documentary, Mrs McAlpine Johnson is seeking 1000 rural, regional and remote women to share their experiences through a nationwide survey.
The survey, thought to be the largest and broadest of its kind, covers topics such as natural disasters, health and domestic violence, societal attitudes, racial prejudice, Tall Poppy Syndrome, community life, leadership and female role models.
The results will provide a statistical snapshot of rural and regional women and form the evidence base for the documentary, with the findings used to inform policy and develop educational resources in Australian schools.
“We want the voices of Gippsland women to be represented in this documentary and part of the Rural Daughters story,” producer, writer and director Mrs McAlpine Johnson said.
“We are putting our heart and soul into telling the stories of rural, regional and remote women – how they overcome adversity, find purpose, break limitations and lead in their communities in the most unique and innovative ways.”
Mrs McAlpine Johnson grew up in Longford and attended Catholic College Sale, and is the daughter of Leon and Pauline McAlpine, both well-known local teachers throughout the 80s and 90s.
After 20 years studying and working in Melbourne and abroad, Mrs McAlpine Johnson recently returned to Gippsland with her husband and three youngest children and settled along the Ninety Mile Beach.
“I have experienced city life and living abroad, but I returned home because we wanted to raise our family in this wonderful community,” she said.
“My story isn’t uncommon.
“Rural and regional Australia offers an incredible lifestyle with many benefits, but with that also comes unique challenges.
“Rural Daughters is about taking an unflinching look at the often overlooked challenges and success stories of women living in in rural and regional Australia so we can improve it for our daughters and leave a legacy for the generations after us.
“We want the daughters, and sons, of this region to understand that they have an authentic, unique purpose that no one else can fulfill and that there are people walking before them fighting for social change, so they don’t have to.
“Society often teaches us to think small, but we want them to dream big.”
The 1000 Rural Women Survey was commissioned by the Community Enterprise Foundation.
It has been developed by the Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre at Federation University Gippsland, together with CheekyMac Productions – both organisations that are led by Gippsland women.
“Our involvement in this documentary is an opportunity to showcase that a regionally-based university can make a difference with regional communities and, in particular, advocate for rural women on issues that matter,” CERC Professor Joanne Porter said.
The survey is available online until the end of September and is available at cheekymac.com/rural-daughters.
To request hardcopies, contact Federation Uni.
