Page 11 - Metro

Whereas Samson & Delilah drew much of its power from the intimacy of its
scale and its close proximity to its titular characters, Sweet Country widens
its angle of view, employing a period setting and a broad cast of characters.

2VDDS "NTMSQX had its Australian premiere at last year’s and his dangerous, unhinged sense of entitlement brings
Adelaide Film Festival (AFF), which previously supported KLP LQWR WKH RUELW RI 6DP DQG KLV ZLIH /L]]LH 1DWDVVLD
3GD #@QJRHCD and 2@LRNM #DKHK@G via its investment *RUH\ )XUEHU ZLWK WUDJLF FRQVHTXHQFHV 6XVSHFWLQJ
fund. This latest work picks up where Thornton’s debut Philomac of theft, Harry pursues the youth to Fred’s
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injustices faced by Indigenous Australians. However, ODQGRZQHU LV LQ WRZQ $IWHU D YLROHQW FRQIURQWDWLRQ 6DP
audiences expecting a return to the naturalistic realism of NLOOV +DUU\ LQ VHOI GHIHQFH DQ HYHQW WKDW LV ZLWQHVVHG E\
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ence with 2VDDS "NTMSQX, as Thornton has calibrated his UXQ DQG 0LFN DQG SROLFH RIĺFHU 6HUJHDQW )OHWFKHU %U\DQ
tenor to the decidedly more operatic scope of the western. Brown) form a posse to follow them, with Archie acting
Whereas 2@LRNM #DKHK@G drew much of its power DV WUDFNHU $ EDWWOH RI ZLWV SOD\V RXW DV 6DP HPSOR\V
from the intimacy of its scale and its close proximity to his superior knowledge of the harsh landscape of the
its titular characters, 2VDDS "NTMSQX widens its angle 0DF'RQQHOO 5DQJHV WR VWD\ D VWHS DKHDG RI KLV SXUVXHUV
of view, employing a period setting and a broad cast of 2VDDS "NTMSQX has its origins in the true story of
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billy, into which black tea and white sugar are poured, LQ WKH 1RUWKHUQ 7HUULWRU\ LQ IRU WKH IDWDO VKRRWLQJ RI
ZKLOH UDFLDO DEXVH DQG D ĺJKW DUH KHDUG EXW QRW VHHQ Harry Henty – a white stockman who violently confronted
1
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0RUULV RQ WULDO EHLQJ DVNHG E\ SUHVLGLQJ RIĺFLDO -XGJH was the subject of an eponymous 2007 documentary
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being levelled against him. This question harks back 'DYLG 7UDQWHU ZKRVH FDUHHU DV D VRXQG UHFRUGLVW EHJDQ
WR 7KRUQWRQpV YHU\ ĺUVW FLQHPDWLF ZRUN WKH VKRUW ĺOP with the ABC show !TRG ,DBG@MHBR and extends to the
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incompatibility of black and white conceptions of justice. features 2@LRNM #DKHK@G and 3GD #@QJRHCD 7UDQWHU FR
Having established its essential thematic premise and produced 2VDDS "NTMSQX DORQJVLGH *UHHU 6LPSNLQ DQG
central visual metaphors, 2VDDS "NTMSQX WKHQ ĻDVKHV 'DYLG -RZVH\ DQG VKDUHV VFUHHQZULWLQJ FUHGLWV KHUH with
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Previous spread: a stockman under the employ of Christian pastoralist 7KH ĺOPpV FDVW PL[HV HVWDEOLVKHG LQWHUQDWLRQDO VWDUV
Sam Kelly (Hamilton )UHG 6PLWK 6DP 1HLOO 7KH QHZ RFFXSDQW RI DQ DGMRLQ OLNH 1HLOO DQG %URZQ ZLWK QRQ SURIHVVLRQDO SHUIRUPHUV
Morris) This spread, LQJ SURSHUW\ +DUU\ 0DUFK (ZHQ /HVOLH PHHWV VWDWLRQ 7KH EHDUGHG VWRFNPDQ WXUQHG WUDFNHU $UFKLH LV SOD\HG E\
L–R: Mick Kennedy RZQHU 0LFN .HQQHG\ 7KRPDV 0 :ULJKW DQG WKH WZR ĺUVW WLPH DFWRU -RKQ ZKR EHFDPH NQRZQ WR WKH SURGXF
4HOMAS - 7RIGHT AND
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Philomac (Tremayne men bond over alcohol and tobacco, along with a shared tion because of his excellent horseriding skills. Hamilton
and Trevon Doolan); prejudice against Mick’s Aboriginal station hands. Harry 0RUULV FDPH WR KLV VWDU WXUQ DV 6DP ZLWK D VLQJOH DFWLQJ
3ERGEANT &LETCHER "RYAN DVNV 0LFN LI KH FDQ ERUURZ KLV VWRFNPDQ $UFKLH *LEVRQ FUHGLW WR KLV QDPH D VPDOO UROH LQ WKH $OLFH 6SULQJVtVHW
"ROWN LEFT AND &RED -RKQ DQG WKH \RXQJ 3KLORPDF SOD\HG E\ WZLQV 7UHPD\QH ABC sitcom ,,, ANQHFHM@K 1@CHN. Thornton revealed
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APPREHENDING 3AM AND
HIS WIFE ,IZZIE .ATASSIA +DUU\ LV D VKHOO VKRFNHG YHWHUDQ RI WKH :RUOG :DU , man, was unable to speak the Arrernte dialect required for
'OREY &URBER 3AM AND &RPSRXQGHG E\ KLV DOFRKROLVP KLV SRVW WUDXPDWLF KLV FKDUDFWHU DQG ZDV FRDFKHG E\ $UUHUQWH VSHDNLQJ QRQ
,IZZIE SEEKING REFUGE stress disorder manifests in violent, paranoiac outbursts, SURIHVVLRQDO FR VWDU *RUH\ )XUEHU 0HDQZKLOH WKH 'RRODQ

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