In 2006, Deborah Mailman and Cathy Freeman took part in a series titled Going Bush by Lonely Planet TV. During the series, Mailman and Freeman travelled to remote Aboriginal communities from Broome to Arnhem Land to discover what life is like and to hear stories of their ancestors.

In this excerpt from an interview with Rhoda Roberts on the Indigenous radio program Deadly Sounds, Mailman talks about how she jumped at the opportunity to make the series and what it was like to build a relationship with Freeman.

This clip is important in understanding what motivated Deborah to make Going Bush. Her enthusiasm and passion for the project is apparent in how she talks about it and we can tell from this interview that it was a life-changing experience for her.

She is also refreshingly candid about not really knowing Freeman before the shoot, and talks with obvious warmth about their working relationship on the project.

Deadly Sounds was a weekly one-hour Indigenous radio program featuring interviews with special guests and music by Indigenous artists. Hosted by journalist, actor and author Rhoda Roberts, it ran for 21 years from 1993 to 2014.

Cover image: Publicity still from Going Bush. NFSA title: 684926.