The footage would go on to become the little-seen documentary, Ningla A-Na, the only film to be shot within the embassy. And this month, the restored documentary will be screened at the National Film and Sound Archive as part of its program to mark January 26.

Watched by ASIO and harassed by the police, the Tent Embassy - which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year - was the beginning of a movement that led to the establishment of the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Aboriginal Legal Service and the National Black Theatre. It garnered a tide of support from around Australia, and finally led to the granting of native title land rights.

"It's really powerful to be able to see it happen [in Ningla A-Na] as it happened in the '70s," National Film and Sound Archive public engagement manager Karina Libbey says.

"There's a lot of really powerful shots and interviews and sequences, but then there are also some nice, quiet moments where there are these interviews, where activists get a bit more stuck into all the issues surrounding them, not just land rights, but also feminism. It was a big time for the feminist movement and we see how that intersects with Aboriginal identity as well as Indigenous health."

While all those involved didn't necessarily know what the Tent Embassy would lead to, there was a collective knowledge of the importance of the events. And from a filmmaker's point of view, Cavadini knew that this was worth documenting, especially as the level of media attendance waned over time.

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And while it is an important piece of history for Australians to look back on, it also shows a conversation that is still being had today.

"Thinking even in the last six months with the change of government and Anthony Albanese committing to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and talking about Voice to Parliament and how we approach all of these subjects as a society is right back in the conversation," Libbey says

"And I think that's why - alongside its 50th anniversary - it's an important time for us to revisit a film like this to remember ourselves and keep this conversation going."

Also joining Ningla A-Na on the program is the premiere of You Can Go Now - the day before its national cinematic release on January 26. The documentary is a summary of 50 years of First Nations activism in Australia through the lens of artist Richard Bell.

You Can Go Now, directed by author, filmmaker, broadcaster and legal academic Larissa Behrendt, documents Bell's extraordinary career trajectory and explores his resolve to increase Indigenous emancipation and self-determination.

Following the screening, Behrendt and Bell will join a Q&A session moderated by Wodi Wodi woman Gillian Moody, senior manager of Indigenous programming at the National Film and Sound Archive.

"The film focuses on Richard's art practice, and he says of himself, he's an activist masquerading as an artist," Libbey says.

"His art is political, and very beautiful and impactful ... and brings issues around Aboriginal land rights and identity to a much broader audience."

You Can Go Now is on January 25 at 6pm. Tickets are $12 from nfsa.gov.au. Ningla A-Na is on January 25 at 2pm. Tickets are free from nfsa.gov.au.

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