EMU RUNNER
Australia, 2018, 95 minutes, Colour.
Rhae- Kye Waites, Wayne Blair, Rob Carlton, Georgia Blizzard, Maurial Spearim, Stella Carter, Mary Waites, Lindsay Waites, Rodney Mc Hughes.
Directed by Imogen Thomas.
This film was made in the North-Western? New South Wales town of Brewarrina, capitalising on the town itself as well as the surrounding countryside. It was made with the collaboration of many people in the town, the schools and the students.
The title refers to a nine-year-old girl, Gemma (and appealing Rhae- Kye Waites in her only screen role so far). She belongs to an aboriginal family, a genial mother who collapses and dies, a sympathetic but often tough father (another good role for Wayne Blair), an older sister and an older brother who works with his father but is at the age to get into trouble.
Gemma goes to school, is particularly good at running. Her capacity for running is revealed in her watching some of the emus wandering the outskirts of the town, her being told that they run very fast and she showing her skills in chasing them. Actually, she becomes more involved with the emus, stealing all kinds of food, quite expert at being surreptitious, and feeding the birds. In fact, she wags school quite a number of times to be with the emus, confiding in her schoolfriend, a white girl, Tessa.
The film fills in the background of life in the town, the father and his jobs, his son getting entangled with a local girl and some fighting with her boyfriend, the family getting the help of the grandmother. When the father learns of Gemma’s interest in the emus, he takes her to see her Uncle Les – and there are a number of pleasing scenes where he explains the aboriginal heritage, the connection with nature, the emus, the spirituality of birds (the film showing a great number of sequences with groups of birds and single birds).
What people seem to get on fairly well in Brewarrina, there is a young social worker on her first appointment, inexperienced of living in the bush, coming from Sydney and not used to being in a country town, who does her serious best in trying to help Gemma. They become involved in a minor crisis, stranded on a remote, rough country road, Gemma quietly reassuring the young woman, and using her running skills to get help.
In many ways, this is a quiet film, a film for a children’s audience, for a family audience, an opportunity to see white and aboriginal Australians together. And, with the emphasis on the emus, it might seem something of a cousin to South Australia’s Storm Boy.
1. The title, the focus on the emus, in the bush, feeding, giving birth? The capacity for running, fast, not flying? Gemma and her capacity for running fast?
2. The country settings, the town of Brewarrina, streets, homes, worksites, shops, school? The surrounding countryside, fertile places, the desert? The musical score?
3. An aboriginal story, the family, the background, life in the town, father and his work, vehicle, reliability? His son, teenage, working with his father, getting into trouble, the girlfriend, the drugs, his being hit by the boyfriend? The two girls, the bond together? With their mother, a genial woman, caring for the family, her collapse and death? The family group and the singing at the cemetery?
4. The other members of the family, the grandmother, her care, old Uncle Les? Friends and the community?
5. The focus on Gemma, her age, love for her mother, her place in the family, relationship with the rest of the family, grief at her mother? Her ability to cope? The wisdom of a nine-year-old? Her discovering the emus, the stories, their running? Looking at them, the food, going to the shops, stealing the sweets, people shopping? Wagging school?
6. Her friendship with Tessa, Tessa’s family, the black girl and the white girl together, bonded? Tessa going to school, giving excuses for Gemma’s absence? The going to the emus together? The long walk?
7. Gemma at school, skilled in running, the principal, his encouraging her? Her missing from school? The discussions with her father? With Heidi?
8. Heidi, young, inexperienced in the country, from Sydney, her interventions, awkward, not fully understanding? Wanting to do the right thing? The drive with Gemma, the old road, the breakdown, Gemma and Heidi talking, growing in mutual understanding, Heidi and her mother? Gemma, collecting the wood, seeing the emus, able to start and keep the fire going? Her decision to run back and get help, her speed, the exertion? The rescue, the policeman, sometimes suspicions, the father and his friendship, the clashes?
9. The scenes with uncle Les, opportunities for Gemma to learn about her heritage, for the audience to hear something of aboriginal traditions, affinity with the land, with nature, the emus?
10. Back to school, the race, Gemma winning, the family there in support?
11. A film of empathy and understanding? The children’s audiences, family?
