UTOPIA is an epic production by the Emmy and Bafta winning film-maker and journalist John Pilger.

Utopia is a vast region in northern Australia and home to the oldest human presence on earth. ‘This film is a journey into that secret country,’ says John Pilger, ‘It will describe not only the uniqueness of the first Australians, but their trail of tears and betrayal and resistance – from one utopia to another’. Pilger begins his journey in Sydney, where he grew up, and in Canberra, the nation’s capital, where the national parliament rises in an affluent suburb called Barton, recently awarded the title of Australia’s most advantaged community.

A global campaign illuminated apartheid in South Africa. No such opprobrium has been directed at Australia, where black Australians are imprisoned at up to eight times the rate of blacks in apartheid South Africa. Instead, Australia’s post card image is that of the ‘lucky country’; and indeed few societies are as wealthy, if you leave out the original inhabitants is that of a third world country. In the town of Wilcannia, New South Wales, the average life expectancy of men is 37. This is the secret of apartheid Australia.

UTOPIA is both a personal journey and universal story of power and resistance and how modern societies can be divided between those who conform and a dystopian world of those who do not.

Support John Pilger's upcoming documentary, THE COMING WAR:

The working title is The Coming War Between America and China,  and the film will tell the largely unreported story of a new US strategic policy known as 'the pivot to Asia'. In a nutshell, what this means is that the US is  preparing for a new provocative cold war that has every chance of becoming a hot war. Washington has begun to move its main missile and naval forces into the Asia-Pacific in order to surround and 'confront' China, whose extraordinary economic rise in recent years is regarded in Washington as a threat to American dominance.

ITV has commissioned the film, and provided seed money.  Pilger and Dartmouth Films are part of the way towards raising at least £60,000 or $100,000 through crowd-funding in order to start making the film. This money won't meet unforeseen costs or pay for distribution and promotion, but it will allow for the promised philanthropy, on which the bulk of the film's funding depends, to come on stream and for filming to begin.

Please help them on their mission at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/john-pilger-the-coming-war-documentary

I cried like I had lost a family member on three occasions watching this film - a must-see for all Australians. [Read more]

 – Adam Goodes, 2014 Australian of the Year

Pilger's film argues that the history of abuse and bullying, so far from being a closed chapter, is merely a prelude: it is set to get worse. This is a grim and powerful film.

– Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Utopia listed 5th in The London Film Review's Top 25 Films of 2013

Do yourselves a favour and let Pilger take you on this journey of education, discovery and exposure into a world that Australia is trying to hide… Utopia takes you on a journey that will sadden, anger and frustrate you; a journey that addresses one of the biggest violations or human rights today.

– Priyanka Mogul, The London Film Review

Provocative documentary from John Pilger about the treatment of Australia's aboriginal people. There's much that's truly shocking in John Pilger's ironically-titled documentary about the plight of Australia's aboriginal or 'First People' population. Pilger made Utopia to make Australians sit up and listen. It's no-nonsense, provocative, powerful and sickening stuff.

– Miles Fielder, The List