SOUTHERN CROSS

Australia, 2004, 92 minutes, Colour.
Heath Bergersen, Yeung-Ming? Tan, Reagan-Louise? Perreau, Bill Kerr, Laura Black, Bill McCluskey?.
Director Mark DeFriest?.

Southern Cross is a Channel 9 production from 2004. It came at a time when Australians were concerned about the influx of refugees and asylum seekers. It was also the time of many detention centres with quite harsh regimes, putting adults and children together, authorities wary of the origins of the refugees, taking a long time to process applications. The Howard government in Australia had a poor reputation for treatment of asylum seekers.
Paul Barron made a film version of the novel A Waltz through the Hills in the 1980s. The novel has been adapted for the 2000s and, instead of British children trying to find their way home and a concerned uncle, this is about to Chinese refugees whose mother dies in the camp and who decide to escape and try to get home to China.
The boy, Yeung-ming Tan, has a strong screen presence. So has Heath Bergersen as Jimmy, the aboriginal lad who befriends them. This was also the final film of character actor, Bill Kerr.
As the 2000s ended, Australians were much more conscious of asylum seekers and refugees and there was intense political debate. This film puts a face on the asylum seekers, especially children, and the effect of detention centres on them.

1. The refugees in Australia, in detention centres?
2. The Australian experience, the 2000s, and later? Public opinion and asylum seekers? Political treatment? Humanitarian issues?
3. A Waltz through the Hills, popular story and film? Adapted for refugees and their quest? Chinese children and China?
4. The Centre? The head, worried, the escapes, the authorities’, government reactions, the police, the premier and parliament, Federal issues? His impersonal approach? Molly, her husband and his unwitting prejudicial expressions? Her love, no family, cook? Tom, the guard, friendly?
5. The locations, the West Australian desert, the fences? The barriers, wire, digging, filling in the holes? The roof, the windows and bars, the dormitory, the offices? The musical score?
6. Australians and attitudes towards detention centres? The effect on adults, and children? The mother’s death, the children having to cope by themselves? Molly and her attempt to help, their being alone, her providing sandwiches?
7. The two children and their characters, age, the boy protecting his sister, strong personality? Comfortable with Molly? Bert, Tom?
8. The decision to leave, writing the note, overhearing the prospect of going to separate orphanages? The authorities getting the translator? Taking the money? Talking with Tom, his itinerary? The sandwiches, on the roof, the plank, into the bush?
9. In the Australian bush, having no ideas? The mountains, the little girl falling, losing the money?
10. The boy as shrewd, meeting the couple in the tent, getting a lift? The trucker and singing along with him? On the back of the utility? The shop, the lady and buying lollies?
11. The search, the head of the centre, the local police, Tom and his packing and going on the trek, getting the expert in from Canberra, his arrogance? Methods? The aboriginal tracker and his deals, the money? The dogs? The media and their response? Papers, headlines, television? The premier, the relationship with Canberra? The local minister and her pomposity? The political advisers?
12. Jimmy, finding the children, their initial fears, helping? Jimmy’s story, the orphanage? The fire, the rabbit and the food, the ritual burial of the rabbit bones? The lollies and the contract for helping? At home in the bush? His family, the welcome, his aunt? Her speech about what he should do? The boys seeing the headlines and the paper and running?
13. Walking through the bush, the dogs, Jimmy taking the socks and giving the scent to the dogs, a different direction? Their walking through the water?
14. Getting nearer to Perth, the railway tunnel, the camp? Tom, his journey, meeting with the shop owner? Finding the children, the phone call, Molly and her wanting to adopt the children?
15. The tracker, their finding the children? The fire, Tom and his being caught in the fire, Jimmy trying to help? Tom’s death?
16. A new life for the children, the film giving face and emotions for the experience of asylum seekers and refugees?