STREET KIDS

Australia, 1983, 72 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Leigh Tilson and Rob Scott.

Street Kids is a documentary from the 1980s focusing on social issues in Melbourne. The directors lived with homeless youth in a boarding house in Melbourne and conducted many interviews for the documentary. The teenagers responded well to the directors and are very frank about the realities of their situation and their future. Other interviews include police, a Jesuit brother, and characters involved in the drug world as well as prostitution.

The film made quite an impact in its time. It is an interesting record of Melbourne and youth in the early 1980s.

1. The quality of the film as a documentary? Style, aim, communication? Wide audience? Social relevance and critique?

2. The sincerity of the film? A record of life in the streets of St. Kilda? Information communicated? Instruction for the popular audience? The effect on the audience - for realistic social change?

3. The impact for the audience: local? General? For attitudes, information, action, change?

4. The visuals of the city of Melbourne: the opening with the trains, transport, the views of the city, night and day? A typical city anywhere in the world? The universality of the message?

5. The particular aspects of the city: the night, life at St. Kilda. squalor. ugliness. the focus of the street kids, the emphasis on darkness?

6. The kids themselves: from ordinary families. their comments, the opening voice-over of the radio session and the criticism of the kids? The credits and the shops? The presentation of the affluent middle class - TV shows as The Price is Right (and the street kids watching)? The family background, schools? Need for affection, support? Hopes. inability to cope and manage? The children being allowed to be children? The fears and unawareness of parents? The impact of social workers? The refuges? The estate agents and the comments on the kids?

7. The selection of stories presented: the realism of the actual kids e.g. Rowan and his talking., Linda and the drugs, the starving couple - and their being seen throughout the final credits, Liz and the sniffing of the glue, the two girls talking about prostitution, seeing them in action, their friendship for one another, the couple with the heroin. the little boy at the end. Jody and her final comments. Gypsy and his observations about Turana,, his future. the others at Turana and seeing their way of life, Isabel and her wanting to study and have hopes at school? The cumulative effect of these interviews? The seeing of the kids, hearing them talk? The truth of their stories? How typical of the street kids? The effect of having their stories interspersed throughout the film?

8. The dialogue and its sharpness. quality of observation, the questions raised, the questions asked? The importance of the editing for highlighting the aspects of dialogue?

9. The contribution of the social workers? Linda and her discussions with Rowan? The comments of the locals? The critique of the university sociology students and their writing of theses and books including the stories of the kids? The contribution of Brother Alex McDonald?. his presence in St. Kilda. the bonds with the kids. his religious background, the validity of his observations? The film ending with himself and the little boy and Jody?

10. The picture of the police, patrolling, at work, commenting on the realities of St. Kilda, their attitude towards their relationships and responsibilities. the hard line they had to take, their wanting to help? Their stressing the kids should not be talked down to? The kids and their reactions to the police? Their truth, lies. their reaction to the comments of the courts and the judges?

11. The problem of accommodation. the streets. the scenes of the refuges, flats and the unwillingness of the landlords to let the kids come into the flats?

12. Themes of unemployment in the '70s and '80s? The possibility of getting jobs? Pro and con? The sense of hopelessness? The dole?

13. The glimpse of Turana, the training centre, the games played by the kids. the cells, the penalties. the interviews? Their comment on lack of training?

14. The atmosphere of death? The suicides. the hopelessness? The uncertainty about death - and the seeming unwillingness to live?