Walkabout

A teenage girl and her younger brother are left alone in the Australian desert after their father takes his own life for reasons unknown. Meeting a young Aboriginal man on his ‘walkabout’ – a rite of passage whereby a young man follows his dream path – ensures their survival, even though communicating with him initially seems impossible. The sharp contrasts between civilization and the outback, which highlight their differences rather than emphasizing what they have in common, convey a sense of constant alienation in both settings. Civilization produces ruins and neglect, while the desert demands constant attention. Time and again, the camera focuses on the varied wildlife of the outback, an eternal cycle of attack and flight, life and death. Not everyone can make it back. (al)