AIATSIS Collection

Directed By: David MacDougall, Judith MacDougall

Constructed as a series of vignettes of station life, the film focuses particularly on the relationship between Sunny Bancroft, the station manager, and a 16-year-old trainee, Shane Gordon. The episodes are linked by Sunnys reflections on learning the hard way from experience, and from the lessons taught him by his father. With intertitles to introduce each episode, the film is eloquent in its depiction of Sunnys patient approach to managing his horses and training young Shane: “I believe in kindness to everything and everyone. If you be kind to something itll be kind back”. Some vignettes have a Tati-like simplicity of observation, for example when young Shane tries to untangle a bridle with one hand while holding a frisky horse with the other, or when Sunny patiently attempts to get a recalcitrant paint-spraying machine to work. The film is, above all, an invaluable observation of the personal dynamics within a working cattle station, and within the Aboriginal community that operates the station.--Kanopy

Originally produced by Ronin Films in 1984

Mode of access: World Wide Web