Film

Ablaze

Name: Ablaze
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2022
Cast: Bill Onus, Tiriki Onus, Jack Charles, John Hughes, Alan Hardy

Mystery

Ablaze is a documentary about an opera singer who discovers a 70-year-old silent film made by his grandfather, an Aboriginal leader and filmmaker. As Tiriki Onus unravels the mystery of its origins, he reconstructs a hidden history of activism, artistic courage, and family legacy. It's a detective story, a portrait of artistic lineage, and a reckoning with what gets erased from history.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a patient, personal investigation into a family finding its own history on old film, and a clear window into Aboriginal activism told from inside the family.

Skip it if you need a tightly plotted film with clear stakes and a fast pace; this one meanders through archives, road trips and conversations, and its emotional weight arrives slowly.

What it asks of you: Ninety minutes, unhurried and mostly talky, with long stretches of travel and reflection; it rewards patience far more than it chases a quick jolt.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Chameleon2019

A documentary about a man who reinvented himself across decades, shaped by circumstance and survival. Like Ablaze, it's about hidden identities and the stories we piece together about people we thought we knew.

But Moves slowly and requires patience with ambiguity. Some will find the narrative frustratingly circular rather than revelatory.

The Act of Killing2012

A haunting documentary where perpetrators of historical violence recreate their crimes. Both films confront how we reckon with the past and the people who shaped it, often at great personal cost.

But Extremely difficult to watch. Contains depictions of violence and trauma that aren't peripheral—they're the point.

20 Feet from Stardom2013

A documentary about backup singers whose contributions were erased from pop history. It shares Ablaze's commitment to excavating overlooked legacies and giving voice to people whose stories were nearly lost.

But If you're not already interested in music history, the film won't create that interest. Mostly speaks to fans of the era.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Ablaze

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

My Mad Fat Diary2013

Both use archival material—a film, a diary—as the thread that pulls a full human being into view. Both are portraits of people discovering who they actually are through what was left behind.

A British series about a teenage girl's diary entries becoming the framework for her story. Like Ablaze, it treats found or archived material as the key to understanding a person, and it moves between past and present with grace. Funny and heartbreaking in equal measure.

But Contemporary British teen comedy isn't everyone's register, and the show doesn't take itself very seriously. If you wanted Ablaze's gravity throughout, this will feel jarring.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me2015

A narrative film about contemporary Indigenous life that refuses easy sentiment or explanation. Feels like a natural companion to Ablaze's commitment to showing rather than telling Aboriginal experience.

But Plotless and slow. If you need conventional story momentum, it will feel like nothing happens for ninety minutes.

Skin2009

A documentary about an Aboriginal rights activist navigating two worlds. Thematically close to Ablaze in its exploration of resistance, identity, and the toll of fighting for justice.

But Now over fifteen years old and somewhat dated in its approach. The documentary language feels of its moment.

Spark: A Space Tail2016

An animated documentary about an Indigenous Australian artist's life and spiritual journey. Offers a formally different but thematically aligned look at Aboriginal creativity and cultural transmission.

But The animation style is unconventional and won't appeal to everyone. Some find it distracting rather than illuminating.

Moonlight2016

Both treat the discovery of family history as an act of love and survival. Both understand that understanding a relative means understanding yourself, and both hold that reckoning as sacred.

A formally inventive narrative film about identity, family secrets, and the stories we inherit. Like Ablaze, it moves between different eras and builds its portrait through what remains unsaid. It's about the weight of legacy and the silence surrounding what matters most.

But Deliberately oblique and requires comfort with ambiguity. If you need your films explicit about what they're saying, this approach will frustrate you.