THE TESTIMONIAL

“Some people become coppers to take the law into their own hands and be a bit more than what they are, and Redfern was pretty bad for it.”

Matthew Coe is a Wiradjuri man who grew up around Waterloo and Redfern. In this film, Matthew remembers the time he walked past the police station after a blue light disco — a night that would change his life forever.

Matthew never used to walk home past the police station, but this night he did. He was only 17 years old when the police stopped and searched him. One of the senior constables held a gun in Matthew’s mouth and threatened his life.

This harrowing account of police brutality reveals how abuse of power can impact a person’s life trajectory. Visually, the film will express Matthew’s story and memories through contemporary dance (choreographed by award-winning Wiradjuri choreographer, Beau Dean Riley Smith).

MATTHEW COE

“Some people become coppers to take the law into their own hands and be a bit more than what they are, and Redfern was pretty bad for it.”