Disaffected by whitefella rules on Blackfella land, Charlie (David Gulpilil – The Tracker, Walkabout) looks to live the old way. But things are hardly straightforward.
With cultural dislocation at its core, Charlie’s Country is a powerful yet, at times, wry commentary on laws impacting indigenous populations in Australia. Charlie is permanently broke yet any attempts at self-improvement with best mate Black Pete (Peter Djigirr – Ten Canoes) are met with rules and regulations. Heading for Darwin, Charlie oversteps the mark even by his own mob’s traditions.
A screen-commanding Gulpilil – serious, vulnerable, mischievous, angry, funny – navigates his way through director Rolf de Heer’s (Ten Canoes, The Tracker) authentic narrative. In exploring Charlie’s frustrations, it’s a human narrative that highlights aspects of institutional racism facing indigenous Australians.
Rating: 74%
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