WSU Parramatta Redux film screening + River Walk (a Social Sciences Week Event)
WSU Parramatta Redux film screening + River Walk
Join the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University for an exciting Social Sciences Week film screening and river walk.
To celebrate Social Sciences Week 2026, the School of Social Sciences will be screening Parramatta Redux (38 minutes), a documentary film directed and produced by Associate Professor Malini Sur. The screening will be followed by Q&A.
Parramatta Redux explores the enduring connections between Parramatta River and the diverse communities, past and present, that have shaped its identity. From Indigenous custodianship to contemporary multicultural life, it reflects on themes of resilience, colonisation, migration and environmental change, offering a layered understanding of the river as both a living landscape and a witness to ongoing social and cultural transformation.
Following the screening, Darug Elder, Uncle Chris Tobin, will lead a River Walk for attendees along the river adjacent to the Parramatta South campus. The walk with Uncle Chris is an opportunity for discussion and discovery of Indigenous concerns and reflections. This is a wonderful opportunity for attendees to deepen their understanding of and connection to Country (numbers for the River Walk are limited).
This documentary film is an outcome of The Collaborative Museum: Embedding Cultural Infrastructure in the City Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP200301481 and generous support from the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.
This event is proudly brought to you by the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University and Parramatta's Lit - a Festival of Writing and Stories in Western Sydney.
Lineup
Associate Professor Malini Sur
Associate Professor Malini Sur is an anthropologist in the School of Social Sciences whose research explores the movement of people, goods, technologies, and healthcare systems in the context of global, political, and environmental change. An internationally recognised scholar, she is also an award-winning author, documentary filmmaker, and photographer. Her work has been supported by major funding bodies including the Australian Research Council, the Dutch Research Council, Singapore’s Ministry of Education, Tata Trusts, and Parramatta Council. She has received several prestigious awards, including a Chevening Scholarship and grants from the J.R.D. Tata Trust and J.N. Tata Trust. Beyond academia, Sur uses film, photography, and visual storytelling to make anthropology accessible to broader audiences. Her acclaimed documentary Life Cycle (2016) examines urban cycling, repair economies, and air pollution in India and has been screened internationally and widely adopted in university teaching. Her recent film Parramatta Redux (2025) explores urban renewal along the Parramatta River, highlighting the intersections of Country, migration, displacement, and environmental change.
Uncle Chris Tobin
Uncle Chris Tobin is a respected Darug Elder, cultural educator, artist and storyteller with more than three decades of experience sharing the culture, history and traditions of the Darug people, the Traditional Custodians of much of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains
About the film
Parramatta Redux (38 minutes) tells the evolving story of timeless connections, exploring the enduring impact of colonization and the living, breathing reality of the Parramatta River and its city today. The film uncovers the resilience of those who have called Parramatta home, from its Indigenous custodians to its newest immigrants. As new infrastructures reshape space and migration alters the demographics of Western Sydney, the river and its spirits are more than an enduring witness to the strains between country and displacement, heritage and modernity, and progress and climate. This film is a journey through the past, present, and future of Parramatta, and an invitation to reflect on the ongoing tensions between historical forces and rapid changes.
This documentary film is an outcome of The Collaborative Museum: Embedding Cultural Infrastructure in the City Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP200301481 and generous support from the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.
Producer and Director: Malini Sur
Camera: Jacob Macri:
Additional Camera: Sivani Yaddanapudi, Dean Lavery, Malini Sur, Nimi Techi
Drone: Dean Lavery
Photographs: Courtesy Powerhouse Collection
Sound: Jacob Macri, Nimi Techi
Editing: Sumit Ghosh
Sound Design and Recording: Abdul Rajjak
Technical Support: Driftersfilms
Production Assistant: Nimi Techi
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