Charlie's Country

This extraordinary study of Aboriginal life in the Northern Territory of Australia not only captures some of the sad realities of today but also tells a poignant and universal story of a man struggling to come to terms with his place in a changing society. David Gulpilil (Walkabout, Rabbit-Proof Fence) stars as the put-upon Charlie, who, when we first meet him, is struggling with a welfare system that refuses him even the most basic housing rights. The land he thinks of as his ancestors' has been privatised and regulated, to the extent that when he and a friend go hunting they are arrested for not having the required permit. So Charlie heads out into the wild, determined to live the old way, only to find that the past is now barely more than a dream. It could be depressing, but though the film deals with racism and - most alarmingly - alcohol abuse in indigenous communities, Charlie's Country is a haunting and beautiful lament for times long gone that ends with a much-needed glimmer of hope.