The documentary Aquarius, directed by Wendy Champagne, was the opening film at this year’s Byron Bay Film Festival. It celebrates the 1973 Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, that triggered a social movement that changed a generation and is still alive today.
The film explores how 10,000 people, drawn to the countercultural ideals of the time, transformed Nimbin and helped shape the Northern Rivers region into a haven for environmentalism and social activism.
Featuring archival footage and interviews, it chronicles the festival’s chaotic but vibrant impact, including its lasting influence on local communities.
This is a fabulous film not to be missed that gives an insight into an important part of our nation’s history and the forming of the alternate lifestyle capital of Australia.