Right now it is raining

Australia (2008) has been playing at the New Capitol Cinemas. It had its rolling worldwide release beginning on the 26 November 2008. The name is presumptuous-a bit like calling the epic "Gone with the Wind" "America". Australia is set between 1939 and 1942 in the Northern Territory and might have been better called "NT" or "Oz confronts Oz". Its star is Faraway Downs, a place either racked by drought or an island in the wet (not really shown as the roads are still passable, above the flood waters in the film).

Faraway Downs faces unfair competition from King Carney (Bryan Brown) who controls a monopoly on cattle driven to market (the old drover route was to South Australia, but with war imminent it is now to Darwin and cattle ships bound for Europe).

The owner of Faraway Downs, Lord Ashley is being hoodwinked by his manager, Neil Fletcher (David Wenham) a thirdrd generation employee on the one million acre spread. When Ashley drowns it is alleged he has been killed by the Aboriginal leader known as King George (David Gulpilil). Fletcher has had a son by an Aboriginal woman at Faraway Downs. He is Nullah (acted by the newcomer Brandon Walters), a mixed race or "half cast" boy of around 12-years-old. King George is Nullah's grandfather and his tutor in the old ways of lore and magic.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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