AustLit

'Based on a Mills and Boon novel set in 1946, it tells of a young Englishwoman, Diana Veness who has recently been jilted. She takes on the job of teacher to three children who are being brought up by their uncle, Timber Marlow. Diana's search for a new life is set against a spectacular background of the Australian countryside.'

Source: Screen Australia.

An intelligent computer resorts to violence to defend itself, after it becomes the only witness to a murder.

'"Kun-gara-mundah" is the name of a large farming property in one of the most visually beautiful areas of Victoria. The name is Aboriginal. It means - "The place where thunder sleeps".

'Ryan is hospitalised - recovering from a car accident - so when there is an urgent and desperate summons from Elaine Duncan, the owner of Kun-gara-mundah, Julie King must handle the problem alone.

'As to the "the problem" - is it in Elaine's mind, or is the property, as Elaine claims, the subject of a "campaign of terror"? Certainly Julie witnesses some inexplicable and terrifying events and quickly seems quite inadequate to deal with the vast, brooding, alien hostility of Kun-gara-mundah.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'ELAINE DUNCAN 30's, an attractive woman whose life has been eroded by a personal nightmare ... a constant dualism tearing her between town and country, love and hate. Eventually, between sanity and insanity. Drives a Land Rover or similar four-wheel drive.

'BRIAN DUNCAN 30's, a fit, good-looking, latter-day squatter. He treats his wife with a smothering protectiveness which seems to cloak some dark undercurrent of their relationship.

'ROBIN CAVANAGH 30's, a good-looking, good-natured, thoroughly urbane character who is physically and intellectually unsuited to country life, but who breezes through it all with ineffable good humour and self-deprecation. Beneath it all, a valuable ally or - perhaps - a dangerous enemy.

'DOUG KINSMAN 20's to 30's, an aboriginal [sic] station hand. Taciturn to the point of being sinister. Drives a Land Rover or similar four-wheel drive.

'DOCTOR 40's - a no-bloody-nonsense operator who knows Ryan well and won't tolerate any carry-on.

'SISTER Attractive, efficient-looking.

'TWO PUB LADIES Middle-aged patrons in the ladies lounge of a country pub.

'GEORGE AMOS 50's, a good-looking professional man. Two short scenes.

'TWO HEAVIES Junior-executive thugs. One drives, one shoots in one brief scene.

'MRS PATTERSON Middle-aged cook.'

'Ryan traces a missing person to "Warialda" - an unlikely and bizarre artists colony where creative people (and reluctant husbands) can get away from it all.

'Ryan discovers that the husband doesn't want to be found and that the colony is occupied by a group of hippies, whose main goal in life seems to be to make his life hell. He's ambushed, beaten and almost killed by a vicious man-trap, before he unravels the mystery of the colony. What he has taken to be sinister is, in fact, a simple and beautiful experiment. He is drawn to the young people, and especially to Bill Palmer, the backbone of the colony - the man he is hired to find. Ryan tries to help them protect their idyllic life-style, but Bill Palmer's past catches up with him in a way which has a tragic result for both Bill and the colony.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BILL PALMER: About thirty-five. Ryan is going to remember him for the rest of his life - he's that kind of man - he has an impact on you. He should be a big man, but even if he isn't, he has "presence". He's self-educated in the best and broadest sense - the sort of education which gives you self-knowledge, and in its turn, serenity. He's confident, competent, close to the earth - the salt of the earth. Very fit, moves well. Handles an axe and a crowbar well. A really beautiful man.

'JOAN PALMER: A suitable partner for Bill - even though they aren't partners. Early thirties, wealthy, well educated, very feminine. Bill left her two years ago, but she's still in love with him - she's that sort of person.

'NOTE: All the members of the "Tribe" are tanned and fit. Their wardrobes, attitudes, movements, combine to create a somewhat primitive air - that of a lost, and possibly dangerous, tribe. They aren't flower children, they're harder than that. They grow their own vegetables, hunt much of their own meat.

'TRICIA: 20, very attractive, lithe and competent - at least while she's in the colony. When we see her in the city we realise she's naive and child-like ... she's a bit the same whenever she's around Bill. She loves him - as do all the members of the tribe, especially ...

'HARRY: 25, strapping physique, simple-minded. A mental age of about twelve. Fantastic abilities as a hunter. To him, Bill is a God - it's as simple as that.

'BUCK: Mid twenties, a hard young man - something of the cowboy about him, a wild streak. In the end we like him.

'DON: Maybe thirty. Must be huge - and very fit. Bigger and stronger than Ryan. He's not intellectual giant, but the other members of the tribe respect his slow, well considered judgements - and his strength. He's not sinister. He has some of Bill's serenity. Must be able to fight.

'STEVE: Mid-twenties, not so wild as Buck, but you wouldn't like to go up against him in a brawl.

'NIKI: Mid twenties, a wild fawn.

'JAN: Similar to Niki.

'STAN KAMEN: About forty, handsome, makes a good impression when you first meet him - just a hint of his mean spirit and weakness. A solicitor.

'CULLEN:

'VINCE: A ratty little crim. Only one scene, but it should be an effective cameo.

'MAN IN CAR: Similar size, shape, colouring to Bill. (1 line).

'WOMAN IN CAR: A bit tarty, thirty. (No lines)

'CONSTABLE (EXTRA)'.

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'VEDAT AVDI: (40's) Stern, proud, austere migrant and doctor of medicine. He carries a heavy burden. He left a good practice in his homeland to follow a dream: to migrate to this new "land of opportunity" and start a new life for his family. The plan backfired. He cannot find work, he is being evicted from his home, pressured into crime, and his wife blames him for everything. The rough edges of his accent are dominated by pedantic university English.

'MURPHY: (50's) A short, solid, unattractive man with a Carlton-United gut and a TV Ringside face. He is the heavy - the villain. Should handle himself well in a scuffle, should smoke, must drive.

'MOYA AVDI: Vedat's wife. Noticeably pregnant, but otherwise lean, hard, and only moderately attractive. She seldom speaks, is withdrawn, suspicious of all Australians. She blames her husband for their troubles, but would not think of raising her voice to him except in private.

'BRIAN BUCKNER: (Late 40's) Trim, fit, tanned, and enjoys playing squash. Buckner is campaigning to dethrone Bell, who has been the local member for Bega Park for 12 years. He is aloof, cocky, often vague - tends to make speeches out of sentences. He thinks he can use everyone (including Ryan) to achieve success in the election. He is more concerned with posing for publicity photos and ordering posters than in helping his voters. Should drive.

'LARRY: (30's) Buckner's campaign manager and squash partner. Sturdy, dependable, even likeable character, with the ominous job of getting Buckner to look and act like a politician.

'PAM: (15) Was raped by Murphy some time ago, and has now discovered she is pregnant. Fragile, bloodless, alone in her misfortune. Limited intelligence.

'ARMSTRONG: (50's) Puppet head of a construction company. He is a bland, limp-wristed man, who deals in graphs and quarterly reports, and wouldn't know a jack-hammer from a pogo stick. Manipulated by everyone, respected by no-one.

'FRANK BELL: (50's) Hard, no-nonsense politician that Buckner is out to defeat. Knows the political scene inside out.

'SPIDER: Foreman at the Dermott Construction Company. Thug.

'STEVE: Worker for Dermott Constructions and thug.

'CILLA AVDI: (10) Vedat's daughter.

'SECRETARY: Works for Buckner. Overworked and underpaid.

'DILMEN: Migrant who works at Mecca Travel Centre. Weak man, tired of hearing complaints from unhappy clients. Heavy European accent.

'RECEPTIONIST: Two scenes, but important part.

'INTERVIEWER: Small important part.

'COMPANION: Bell's beautiful girlfriend. No lines. Very small part.

'EXTRAS: Two photographers and seven migrants.'