Storm Boy

1976 88mins (G
Director Henry Safran
Cast Greg Rowe, Peter Cummins, David Gulpilil

Storm Boy is a gem of a film. Modestly and carefully made, it is a skilful of a classic children’s book by Colin Thiele.

The story of a loner widower and his young son living in a beach shack, Dad eking out a living selling fish to the local monger. They live near a bird sanctuary and a chance meeting

between the son, Mike, and local first nations man Fingerbone Bill profoundly shifts his life and earns him the name Storm Boy.

In terms of narrative and realisation Storm Boy is hardly the stuff of which young audiences are familiar today, no CG, no special effects, no 3D animation! With its threads that touch on Aboriginal culture, respect for the environment and animals and the condition of being an "outsider", it is a thematically rich story that remains as valuable today as when it was made.

“Storm Boy is right up there with the most affecting family films involving animals. It is also a drama deeply attuned to its own aesthetic. The three key (human) performances are wonderful but Percival steals the show. In many ways this plucky and precious pelican is the core of the film. In addition to performing a primitive version of tag (mostly just him running) Percival has a bunch of tricks tucked up his wings, including the ability to catch balls and return them. God knows how they trained a pelican to do all this!” – The Guardian

Bring the picnic blankets and hampers and head to The Quad for a great night of outdoor cinema in the heart of Lismore, 21- 23 May.