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Reviews
Satellite Boy (2012)
More than David vs Goliath
Satellite boy is a film made in 2012, directed by Catriona McKenzie. The movie is about a young indigenous boy named Pete and his friend Kalmain, who travel 85km from Wyndham to Kununurra to try and stop a construction company from demolishing Pete's home, an old drive-in cinema. Early on however, the boys get lost and must rely on Pete's knowledge of country to survive.
Satellite boy contains characters such as 12-year-old indigenous boy Pete. After his mother leaves to go to university in the city he is left to live with his grandfather Jubi, an aboriginal elder who teaches Pete all the traditional ways their people use to live. Pete also has a best friend named Kalmain who accompanies him on their journey. Kalmain is around the same age if not slightly older and was raised by what is assumed to be his alcoholic mother.
There were many conflicts in this movie. The first conflict established, was that of the two boy's vs the construction corporation as this took up most of the film. The situation felt like a typical "David v Goliath" scenario as the boys attempted to take on the big company.
There was also conflict between Pete and Kalmain about how they would deal with the corporation, including a scene in which Kalmain pulls a gun on construction workers, Pete shocked at this, runs over to Kalmain and tries to grab the gun from him.
Lastly, a less obvious conflict was between Pete's desire to be with his mother and her wanting him to come with her to the city, versus his yearning to be in country. Overall, Pete chooses to live in the country with his grandfather as that is his home, saying that both he and his mother have different wants and so need to go different ways.
The movie intends to develop sympathy for the main character, and in watching the movie the viewer is left feeling for the characters. The cinematography was quite striking, highlighting the landscapes of the Kimberly regions of Western Australia. The soundtrack was subtle yet helped support the imagery of the varying scenes.
Pete was unable to prevent the demolition of his home, and to an extent this felt like a metaphor for the futility of opposing the march of capitalistic "progress". However, the disappointment was short lived as Pete seemingly discovered his love for country and that overcame the grief of his old house being destroyed.