SATELLITE BOY (PG)
When: Opens June 20
Details: facebook.com/SatelliteBoy
WHEN 12-year-old Pete’s home is under threat of demolition, he and best mate Kalmain set off on BMXs to confront the mining company responsible.
The two-day journey through the harsh Kimberley outback soon turns into an impromptu walkabout, with Pete coming to rely on the Aboriginal bush techniques and knowledge his grandfather has tried – apparently in vain – to instill in him.
Catriona McKenzie’s directorial debut is a rites of passage tale in the vein of last week’s Mud.
Two boys on the fringes of society find a new purpose in the wilderness.
In Pete’s case, he is caught between two worlds – the old ways of his grandfather and the modern allure of Australian capitalism.
We’re left in no doubt which way McKenzie leans, and some might find the anti-consumerist posturing a little too much.
Heavy on symbolism and light on plot, Satellite Boy is beautifully shot, making the most of the stark landscape, and features two impressive, truthful performances from its young leads.
