Wirriya : small boy

Summary

This moving documentary is a record of a few hours in the life of a small 7 year old boy, Ricco, from Hidden Valley, one of the many town camps on the outskirts of Alice Springs. He has lived in th...

This moving documentary is a record of a few hours in the life of a small 7 year old boy, Ricco, from Hidden Valley, one of the many town camps on the outskirts of Alice Springs. He has lived in the camp for most of his life, and is looked after by his three older sisters and his foster mother, Nanna Maudie. Ricco Japaljarri Martin is bright, cheeky and adventurous. The film follows his interactions with his nine dogs, and on a routine day at school in Alice Springs where he has classes in Warlpiri language and culture. The next day, however, Ricco plays “hookey” from school with some other children and goes into the town to explore and to play around. At the end of the day, Nanna Maudie expresses her concerns about what the future holds in store for Ricco. Filmed over a two-month period, the film is narrated by Ricco himself in an intimate, casual style. Beautifully shot and edited, and with an attractive music score, WIRRIYA shows the rich creative potential of the CAAMA documentary group. The film is a non-judgemental and poignant observation of town camp life, and the challenges that lie ahead for the camp residents and for this irrepressible small boy.

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