Cunnamulla appears to be a dead end in every sense of the word. Deep in the Australian Outback, Cunnamulla is the spot where the Queensland train tracks end as well as a small town overflowing with the bitterness borne of broken dreams, broken hearts and broken spirits.
Seen through the eyes of documentary filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke, both the land and its residents are poor, brutal and unforgiving. While the hopeless young residents try to escape by sinking into sexual promiscuity and drug use, they still follow the example of the older generation, who drink, smoke, fight and curse as easily and naturally as they breathe. They blame the government and each other for their plight.
There seems to be no place for tenderness, thoughtfulness or hope in Cunnamulla. And yet ... even in this place of such desolation, some residents long for beauty, and one or two even manage to find it. This film provides a surprising, engrossing, fascinating look into lives that few outsiders would otherwise know. Definitely worth a look.
Seen through the eyes of documentary filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke, both the land and its residents are poor, brutal and unforgiving. While the hopeless young residents try to escape by sinking into sexual promiscuity and drug use, they still follow the example of the older generation, who drink, smoke, fight and curse as easily and naturally as they breathe. They blame the government and each other for their plight.
There seems to be no place for tenderness, thoughtfulness or hope in Cunnamulla. And yet ... even in this place of such desolation, some residents long for beauty, and one or two even manage to find it. This film provides a surprising, engrossing, fascinating look into lives that few outsiders would otherwise know. Definitely worth a look.