The Fringe Dwellers (1986)

Synopsis: Director Bruce Beresford returns to his native Australia as he again explores the theme of an individual caught between two cultures. Kristina Nehm stars as Trilby Comeaway, an Aborigine teenager who lives in extremely cramped quarters... Director Bruce Beresford returns to his native Australia as he again explores the theme of an individual caught between two cultures. Kristina Nehm stars as Trilby Comeaway, an Aborigine teenager who lives in extremely cramped quarters in a squalid shantytown with her extended family. Although a loving group, they are divided between those who are more assimilated to the white world, like Trilby and her sister, and an older generation still attuned to the mythology of their culture. A quietly ambitious girl who dreams of traveling to foreign cities, Trilby persuades her mother, Mollie (Justine Saunders), to move into a prosperous white neighborhood that is somewhat beyond their means. But after the move, things aren't exactly the way Trilby had imagined. On a mundane level, the entire extended family has followed, and the girl still has no room of her own. More seriously, the white locals are not hesitant about expressing their distaste for the new neighbors. To complicate matters, Trilby's relationship with boyfriend Phil (Ernie Dingo) results in an unwanted pregnancy. Nehm gives an extraordinary performance and Saunders is impressive in this gentle yet compelling film about the difficulties of being a person who truly belongs in no world but their own. [More]

Starring: Justine Saunders, Bob Maza, Kristina Nehm, Kylie Belling

Starring: Justine Saunders, Bob Maza, Kristina Nehm, Kylie Belling

Director: Bruce Beresford

Director: Bruce Beresford

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