Sunday, October 17, 2004
Living next door to Alice
On screen, an Aboriginal boy piggybacks a friend on an old bike past a sacred site near a golf course in Alice Springs. The sky is clear and the landscape beautifully lit as they stop at a tap to drink. Looking around, they notice a shiny, expensive bike, unattended. Together they make a decision that could change everything . . . fade to black.
At this point, the director of UsMob invites viewers to choose from alternative endings. In one scenario, the police are involved and in the other, friends fight as one boy challenges the other.
The bike story is one of eight short films that make up UsMob, a series of real life morality tales and experiences from contemporary Aboriginal life. Set in Hidden Valley, an Aboriginal community in the middle of Alice Springs, it is a collaborative work by director David Vadiveloo and the Arrente community, including the Tangentyere Council and the Aboriginal Town Camp Council in Alice Springs.