Family Rules cast.
Camera IconFamily Rules cast. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Suburban spotlight on Perth Noongar family in doco series Family Rules

Sara FitzpatrickEastern Reporter

A NEW documentary series coming to the small screen in January will spotlight a fragment of Perth most locals have never seen before.

Filmed mostly in Midland, Family Rules follows the lives of a suburban Noongar family, comprising matriarch Daniella Rule and her nine daughters, as they traverse the world of teenage angst and sibling rivalry.

“As far as I’m aware, there hasn’t been a domestic observational documentary like this made ever before,” executive producer Renee Kennedy said.

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“Co-executive producer and indigenous entrepreneur Karla Hart feels like urban indigenous people here in WA don’t necessarily get their stories told and hopefully this will change that.

“That’s not to say that people aren’t wanting to develop those stories or make them or broadcast them but I guess the right thing just hasn’t come along.”

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Kennedy hopes Family Rules entertains but also gives viewers a look at a “very relatable” indigenous family.

“The series was developed with the idea of looking at universal themes like coming of age but through the prism of this particular Noongar family of women,” she said.

“It’s just extraordinary that they are a family of 10 women and they are all very strong-minded, engaging, interesting, smart and gorgeous.

“I hope people watch it and come away having learnt something about their culture but also feel like these are just normal people they can relate to.”

The moviemaker and mum-of-two produced a segment of the 2008 Logie-winning documentary Constructing Australia: The Bridge and launched her production company Metamorflix in 2013.

“My personal motivation is to tell stories that reflect the diversity in Australia – I’m passionate about doing that but in an entertaining and engaging way that doesn’t lecture people,” Kennedy said.

Family Rules is a great celebration of the Noongar community here in Perth and the incredible people in that community and the strength and beauty of that community.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Family Rules

When: January 9-11 and 16-18 at 7.30pm

Where: NITV