Original subtitles

Bye.

You can throw that in the rubbish

What is it?

Radio.

We don't want it, son.

Keep the radio deck.

Connect some music.

What are you doing here, boy?

You pinching something?

Now, what happens when a little fella tell lies?

Spirit man, that'll come at night.

And take him away.

Now, sit down.

Now, do some talking.

Can you find the place again?

Sure this is the spot?

That's where we had the boat.

Under that tree.

Well, where's he now?

And where's the fire?

Where are you going?

Just outside.

Come here.

It's time I had a talk, son.

I want you to grow up honest.

That line's about as low as a man can get.

It's a coward's way of getting what he's after.

And you've got to learn you can't have everything you want.

The radio will tell you you need this and that and a thousand other things.

You want more and more, so you'll end up chasing a lot of rubbish.

You've got to trust me, son.

Why do we live here?

Because it's the best place there is.

Watch where you're shooting those people out here.

Hey, who's that?

Are you coming out or do I have to come in and get you?

Well, come on, let's get out of here, all right?

They're coming, boy.

See if they hit something.

Morning.

Morning.

What have you got today?

Couples and mullet.

Could you spare us a couple of mullet?

Ah, good.

How much do you want for them?

You can pay me on my way back.

What's your name?

Storm Boy.

You run like a black fella.

Like the wind.

I'm Fingerbone Bill.

You live here with your people?

Just my dad.

Mom's dead.

Lonely place?

All right, mine.

Got a big fright.

Bullet shooting going on.

Think the old ones will find him?

Big blow coming up tonight.

You kill a pelican, the sky come up with a storm.

What's the story?

There was two men shooting pelicans.

I thought I told you to keep away from shooters.

Well, go on.

I shot the old ones, Dad.

Do any of the other birds have to feed them?

They'd have died. Oh, rubbish.

They would.

Do you know how much they eat?

I'll catch fish for them. Couldn't catch enough for pelicans.

Yes, I can.

Anyway, you would know how to feed them. Yeah, I do.

Fingerbone showed me.

Who?

Well,

who on earth is that?

You better tell me, son.

That man I saw yesterday.

Is he still around, is he?

Well, you can't leave them there.

Put them in a box.

Long time ago, all the men were animals.

First Kunai man was a pelican.

He came long way, long, long way from the hills, carry a bar canoe

on his head.

And he goes and he goes and he goes and he goes and he goes.

Hey, tak, tak, tak.

Sound like knocking.

Looks here.

Looks there.

Where's the tak, tak coming from?

Comes to a river.

Put on a canoe.

What's inside?

Mustak.

Mustak sit there. Goes tak, tak, tak all the time.

Pelican happy.

Maristak.

Start Kunai people.

Morning, Tom.

Frank.

Tom, meet Miss Walker, the new teacher at Gulwer Primary School. This is Tom

Kingley, Miss Walker.

How do you do?

Shall we go inside?

Well, you must be Mike.

What have you got there?

Three chick pelicans.

He says their parents were killed by shooters in the reserve.

When?

You'll have a job on your hands to bring them up.

How old are they, Mike?

About three weeks, I'd say.

This one looks a bit smaller.

He was thick.

Is he better now?

Have they got names?

Mr. Proud, Mr. Ponder, and he's Mr. Percival.

Well, I'd best be going.

Oh, could I have a word with you before you go, please, Mr. Kingley?

What about?

Your son's education.

I believe the former teacher came to see you about six months ago about

correspondence lessons.

That's right.

And you haven't done anything about them, have you?

Every child has a right to an education.

How old is he?

Ten. Can he read and write?

Add? Subtract?

I have a new application form here.

Mike's a bright kid, Tom. He deserves a chance.

He's learning all he needs to know.

Sit down.

I got a present for you.

Still a bit wet.

Good, eh?

You like it?

Where did you find it?

Oh, I stopped.

And me?

No, but I'm going to have lessons.

You've got good brains, tomboy.

You'll learn something.

Did you ever go to school, finger bone?

Missing school.

Can you tell what it says?

Um, that fellow have to fight.

He gets beer.

Can you read that?

That's, uh... P.

And what's this?

That's, uh, M.

And that?

What is it? What's it make altogether?

June 1743.

Was last bottle...

in which King of England fought in person.

The French lost 6 ,000 men.

The English, about 3 ,000.

Finger bone.

Look.

Is Dad alright?

Why is he still moving?

Spirit.

The birds are going back tomorrow.

About time they did.

They'll be all right, Storm Boy.

Pelican proper number one special bird.

He's got good brains.

Like you.

There's no use fretting, son.

Didn't know you'd be upset that much.

Anyway, wild things should be free.

This is where the person will be.

See?

What's that, don't boy?

Right.

taught.

But I can help you.

You all right?

Proper devil.

Drink too much.

What's going on?

You think about it, eh? Yeah.

I saw them heading this way, but I was too far out.

He scared them good and proper.

The name's Tom.

How do I tell him?

Yeah.

Thanks.

Good boy, your son.

You're a lucky man.

Yeah.

Do you like him?

Well, it seems all right.

He's my friend.

You've been seeing a lot of him, have you?

Where?

In the reserve.

Let's have a look at the damage.

Looks like you had some trouble.

What gives you that idea?

I caught up with those blokes near the South Lagoon.

You be laying a complaint?

Willful damage?

No, it's use.

Won't fix all this, will it?

They say you shot at them.

What if I did?

Well, there's a law against guns in the Coorong.

When's there going to be one against lunatics and buggies?

After they've ruined the Kurong and they've churned up every blade of grass?

Yeah, you could have killed someone.

So could they.

Your job to keep them out.

Yeah, well, that's easier said than done.

Didn't know you even had a gun.

I see the licence, Tom.

Dad didn't shoot.

He didn't.

Well, who did?

Oh, come on, son, out with it.

Finger bone.

Finger bone?

The black fella?

He just shot at the light, that's all. Yeah, what if he'd missed?

Hit a man instead.

Hold on to this.

Hey, a friend of yours.

Oh, then you'll know where to find him, won't you?

How much furler?

Where to now?

Do you mean to tell me you've lost your way?

Never. You know the Coorong better than anyone.

You don't want to get your friend into trouble, eh?

But if you should run into him before I do, you tell him what I said. No more

shooting.

You'll learn to keep your mouth shut, won't you?

I've just come to tell you there's trouble brewing.

The ranger wants to see you about the gun.

There's a law against people shacking the sanctuary.

He might tell you to move on.

Does this country belong to him?

Maybe not.

The law says you can't stay.

Wait, Polislaw.

You could move in with us.

Couldn't he, Dad?

I like it here.

Brought you something?

Proper big one, eh?

Sure. Dad catched it.

Caught? Caught.

No need to make a song and dance about it, son.

Proper number one tucker, this.

Got him by the river mouth.

Why don't you stay?

Help me eat.

He cooks good, Dad.

Storm boy like Blackfella Tucker.

Stone boy is that you is it?

Your trouble land around here I belong kunai people

You're not good here, don't you?

Fingerbone used to drive cattle, didn't you?

Dad had a petrol station.

I wasn't mine.

Just thought of buying it, that's all.

Mum and me used to come and watch him work sometimes.

That was a long time ago.

She'd like it here, wouldn't she, Dad?

Don't you think you've done enough talking, son?

Where will you go if you shift from here?

Go walk about.

That's what I'd do.

If I was on my own, I'd like that.

No good on your own.

You seem to like it.

No.

Why are you here?

Why aren't you with your tribe?

Old men would kill me.

They point the bone at me.

Why?

I broke the law.

Tribal law.

Lure up my people.

Sang wrong woman.

Made her come to me.

Where is she now?

In city.

White fella's woman now.

Best thing is to love no one, Fingerbone.

Always end up getting hurt.

I left my wife.

Wonder sometimes now if I've done the right thing by the boy.

I should have stuck it out or gone off my own.

Left him with her.

Things might have worked out different.

Kids need a mother anyway.

You on your own?

Come on.

Come on inside.

Well, I suppose I'd better ring the ranger so he can tell your father.

He'll be worried.

Go on, eat it.

It's cheese, so I hope you like it.

Why did you leave, Mike?

One thing with anybody else, any other relatives apart from your father, I can

tell.

My mother, but I don't know where she lives.

You don't know?

No, but I'm going to find her.

Hey, how are your pelicans?

Just got the one now, Mr. Percival.

And Sir Percival was all of those things.

And he was gentle and humble and a little bit vague.

And he loved animals.

Yes, come in.

Hello, Mr. Kingley.

Won't be a minute.

Well, anyway, Sir Percival met up with two other knights, and one day, as they

were standing on the shore of a great sea, they saw the Holy Grail.

It was on the deck of a ship laden with treasure.

Did they swim out and get it?

Yes, well, they did finally manage to get hold of the cup, but it's a long

story, and I'll tell you some other time, perhaps when Mike comes to visit

again.

Come on, Mike.

The rest of you can draw pelicans.

And in silence, please.

Well, thanks.

The ranger told me you'd run.

He was looking for his mother.

Come on, let's go.

I'm not going home.

What's that?

I'm not going home.

Maybe you should call her.

Well, if there's anything else I can do, I'll be inside.

Well, thanks.

Goodbye, Mike. See you soon.

She'll have to do something about his lessons.

What's the

matter,

son?

Come on, what's all this about?

You always told me my mum was dead.

Well, she isn't, Mikey.

You told me about it when you left her.

She was killed in the car crash, son.

After I took you away.

Sorry.

Come on, let's go home.

We'll miss you, stone boy.

We all miss you your dad me mr. Percival

He's been looking for everywhere

See you back at the boat.

You staying with us, Fingerboy?

Maybe one day.

Not now.

Your dad really wore it.

Look for you all night.

Are you coming or not?

All right.

Why don't you hurry anyway?

No, he's right. We'd better get moving if we're going to catch the tide.

Be gone.

Will you two hurry up?

You know what the night's gonna be?

Big blow, all right?

Sorry to put you out like this. That's all right.

I really thought this was it. The end, if you know what I mean.

Looking sure to help, sir.

Just black, thanks.

I just don't understand it.

I can't hear how it happened.

I mean, the storm came from nowhere.

I just don't understand it.

If we hadn't lost the rudder.

How on earth did you train that bird?

I asked for something. He did it.

You must have a way with animals.

The whole thing's a miracle.

It'll make headlines.

Absolutely. Pelican saves four lives.

And when he's dead, he can go on a glass case in the museum for everyone to see

him.

We'd like to show our appreciation.

No need for that.

No, no.

We want to. Of course. You save four lives. It's got to be worth something.

don't want money. What about a loan?

You could buy a proper house.

Send the boy to a good school.

Look, don't say anything now.

I've been thinking something.

You take what they offer you.

You send Mike to school.

Pick proper number and school.

Boarding school.

Cost too much money.

Business fellow's got plenty money.

They wanted to do it. Don't think he'd like to go.

Wouldn't mind going to school at Gore.

Sometimes. Oh, it's too far, Mike.

And you couldn't live there. It's not a boarding school.

Do they lock you up at boarding school?

No, I don't think so.

Could I come and see Mr Percival sometimes?

And me, when you get holidays.

How often's that?

Three times a year, I think.

Would you be all right without me?

Can't think of myself all the time, can I?

Don't know what to do.

What do you think?

Wish you could come along.

Then you mightn't like it.

Don't think I would either.

Reckon I'll stay here with you.

You stupid kid!

Don't get hurt!

I'm miserable.

Gotta go in the morning

Would you like to come?

If you'd been killed, you would have found him.

Reckon he was looking around the star on his own.

Find a wife, you know.

Might have got sick of shooters and gone where he's safe.

How'd you like it if the two of us moved to Galway?

To live, I mean.

But ask about buying the service station.

I thought I'd write to these three blacks.

See if they'd lend me the cash to make a start.

We've got to stick together.

Don't we?

I want to show you something.

Yesterday, I went and went and went.

Found that pelican.

Was it him?

Yes.

I pick him up.

And I bury him.

I'll show you something else, Storm Boy.

Mr. Percival, starting all over again.

A bird like him never die.