Around the Block (2013)

An Aboriginal boy is torn between his unexpected love of acting and the disintegration of his family.

Director:

Sarah Spillane

Writer:

Sarah Spillane

Stars:

Hunter Page-Lochard, Christina Ricci, Aaron L. McGrath

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hunter Page-Lochard	...	Liam
Christina Ricci	...	Dino Chalmers
Aaron L. McGrath	...	Joseph (as Aaron McGrath)
Elias Reese	...	Toby
Ursula Yovich	...	Chrissie
Mark Coles Smith	...	Steve
Shai Pittman	...	Tamika
Daniel Henshall	...	Simon
Anthony Gee	...	Tim
Sam Lyndon	...	Brucey
Guy Simon	...	Jacob
Braydn Pittman	...	Jason (as Braden Pittman)
Nicholas Cassim	...	Sergeant Todd
Amanda Wiltshire	...	Officer Blythe
Jack Thompson	...	Bill O'Donnell

Storyline

"AROUND THE BLOCK" is about breaking family and cultural cycles for a hopeful future. A contemporary story of love, revenge, and triumph, an Aboriginal boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of acting and the disintegration of his family. Meanwhile his high school drama teacher must practice what she teaches if she is to succeed in her personal and professional life.

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Plot Keywords:

aboriginal | teacher | f rated | lesbian kiss | cop | 

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Taglines:

A story of love, revenge, and triumph, an Aboriginal Boy is torn between his unexpected love of acting and the disintegration of his family.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2014 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Redfern, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kick Pictures, Tree

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut for Ruby Rose.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dino Chalmers: [narrating] A philosopher once said, one is not born a woman, but chooses to become one. I've wondered if it was the same with freedom.
Dino Chalmers: [filming people on the street] Is anyone really free?

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Soundtracks

Exile
Written by Nick Lupi, J Boserio, A Gauchan
Performed by Spit Syndicate
© Copyright Control
Licensed Courtesy of Obese Records Pty Ltd

User Reviews

Hamlet meets Hip Hop in Australian Setting

The film depicts life down under in Spillane's birth city of Sydney. She focuses on a white American teacher, played by Christina Ricci whose character of Dino Chalmers is trying to make a difference in the inner-city suburb of Redfern. She gets a class of Aboriginal teenagers to perform Shakespeare's Hamlet with her lead being Liam Wood, a 16-year-old Aborigine who has a talent for dancing and acting. Unfortunately, his future is threatened when he gets in trouble with the law and police.

Spillane was herself a teacher in Redfern from 2001 to 2005 at an Aboriginal arts college where she instructed students of all ages, including teenagers. She wrote the screenplay in 2004 after learning about a real-life Aboriginal teen who also got into trouble with the law and police.

Spillane's film has this racial tension rippling in the background, or on the side. Her aim is more to take a step back and not focus on the specific incident, but rather examine the neighborhood and show the situation, which led to the racial tensions, or the needless death, much in the same way Spike Lee did in 'Do the Right Thing' (1989).