Satellite Boy is a 2012 Australian drama film about a young Aboriginal boy struggling to maintain the traditions of his heritage in the modern world when a mining company expands into the region.
Catriona McKenzie's directorial feature debut is a heartfelt, moving and uplifting story about a young boy's journey to save his home and ultimately himself. Satellite Boy follows Pete, a 12 year old Aboriginal boy who lives with his elderly grandfather, Old Jagamarra (Gulpilil). Home is the abandoned outdoor cinema in the outback town of Wyndham. When it is threatened with demolition, Pete sees his world in jeopardy and sets off for the city. He is joined by his friend Kalmain, who has his own reasons for leaving town. Together the boys travel through epic and stunning Kimberley country and when they get lost in the bush, Pete has to remember some of the old Aboriginal bush skills his grandfather taught him for them to survive.
Fable-like in its storytelling, it shows a world torn between old and new, tradition and progress, nature and technology. Celebrating the importance of family, true friendship and cultural and spiritual identity, Satellite Boy is captivating and affecting.
Special Features:
- Behind the scenes
Critic Reviews:
- " Its insightful fascination with a fading way of life in the outback (and a people determined to keep living it as vividly as they can) is a small triumph. " – Leigh Paatsch (Herald Sun, Australia)
- " McKenzie does well to emphasise the cultural impact of modern Australia on the lives of its original settlers, while wisely avoiding political grandstanding. " – Ed Gibbs (The Sunday Age)
- " A kind hearted exploration of the struggle for self in a complicated world " – Andrew L. Urban (Urban Cinefile)