Original subtitles

(Girl whispers) Wait up, Frankie.

(Man calls) Where are ya? Frank!

Oi!

Frankie...

Frankie, wait up!

FRANKIE: I've been walking this road since the Dreamtime been open.

I cut through Jacob's Creek, go along Daniel's fence line,

walk along the Uni pipes, then straight on to the highway.

Always try to be early,

but these days, it's hard gettin' out of bed.

We dance pretty hard for our money.

Mr Louis reckons it's good for self-esteem.

If he only knew, we make more than him.

Every time I walk here, I think...

lots of things have changed.

Dad's gone...

Mum's working harder

and her boyfriend now sleeps at our house.

Makes me miss my dad.

But I still got my sister girl, Maddie.

Lots can happen in a year.

CAR HORN C'mon, Frankie, we're late!

Eh?

You right today, boodo?

Yeah. Well, hop in, bitch. We're late!

This is the Dreamtime Centre.

Sort of like Dreamworld, but with blackfellas.

See, I dance.

Traditional dance... the deadliest dance group.

We call ourselves the Djarn Djarns!

Yeah!

INSTRUMENTAL INTRO 'POWER AND THE PASSION'

C'mon, hurry up! They're getting in the theatre.

Move your butts. Go watch from inside.

Kevin's looking for you.

MIDNIGHT OIL 'POWER AND THE PASSION' CONTINUES

Eddie, what the...?

What? They're my only clean ones, Frank.

Hey, look at him.

Frankie, you got a feed?

Chinese there. Have some.

Eh, steak and black beans! My favourite.

Where the frig have you two been? Wake up the wrong side of the bed?

Jesus Christ, there's 84 out there.

84 people and they're paying for the bills out here. Not me.

You two better clean up your act.

You're not at school. This is the big, bad world.

Professionals. Out here, professionals. Hear me?

Hey... Kev!

Come on, yubbas. Work some of that magic for me.

ALL: Yes, boss.

SONG RESUMES

Come on, Frankie.

Ow...

Here, boy.

(Suppresses cough)

Good morning, folks, welcome to the Dreamtime Cultural Centre.

For your entertainment today,

we'd like to introduce our Djarn Djarn Dancers.

They've been with us since we've been open.

They're one of Australia's most exciting dance groups

and our star attraction.

'Djarn djarn' in Aboriginal means men's dance group,

and these boys certainly are men!

You right today, bood?

Yeah, no worries.

..put your hands together for the Djarn Djarn Dancers!

Let's go!

So this is us. Pretty deadly, eh?

Four Murris and all culture proud.

We do this dance called 'Djalamar'. 'Shake a leg'. Welcoming dance.

I lead with the first solo,

then the other fellas, they finish it off.

Eddie River there. Cairns Murri.

Always looked after me, Eddie has, from day dot.

Him and his dad stay at Harry Davis.

His dad don't drink. Smokes and gambles, though.

People call him the Bludger.

That's Gareth Doyle.

That's G-A-R-E-T-H.

He lives up on the range. Uptown Murri.

A real good footy player - the only reason why the 'migloos' love him.

But he's a Djarn Djarn through and through.

Charro boy there, he's our best dancer.

Even though he's asthmatic, he still likes his cigarettes.

And he was the one that made us get our initiation scars.

ALL: Yeah, come on!

Our song man is Scottie.

His mum's Murri, his dad's Samoan

and he's always going on about drinking sweet herbal tea

and how it's good for ya.

He reckons it gives his goonungs a sweet, complete smell.

Yeah!

We all work well together.

Kevin says, when we go great, the whole centre booms.

Oh yeah, we got 100% indigenous staff.

From the accountant to the janitor, we're all blackfellas here.

Would that be on credit?

We've been shakin' a leg since we were young,

and now, me and the Djarnies teach other people the dance.

All sorts of people.

But we love it when we teach our own mob.

And now Dad's passed on,

the Djarnies have sort of become like...

family.

(Suppresses cough)

You know, when I go

you gotta look after Mum and Madds for me.

Yeah.

I don't want you to go, Dad.

Come here, son.

DIDGERIDOO AND CHEERING

Shit, Charro, what's going on? What's goin' on, Frankie?

Charro, you right?

I'm a doctor. Is he breathing? He's chokin', unc.

Give him here, son. Son, can you hear me?

Give him here... (Voice echoes and fades)

Go away!

Frankie, pull him up!

Come on, Chas. Sit up. One, two, three...

Oh, steak and black beans!

You right, bro?

Asthma spray, Frankie.

Gaz, get his asthma spray. His Ventolin!

Get it, get it!

You'll be right, bro.

Hey, mate, come here.

That's the way.

Frankie! Frankie, where ya goin'?

Where's he gone?

Hey, Frankie, where ya goin'?

Frankie, another group's come in! Frankie, wait!

Stay here!

Get out! You'll wake him up.

So where has he gone? Does anybody know?

Eddie? Gareth?

Anybody?

Shit! We got another two groups.

Gonna be late for work, Frankie.

Get into Mum's room and get ready. Don't come out till I tell you, okay?

You're gonna be late, Frankie.

(Whispers) Wait up, Frankie.

Where are ya? Frank! Oi!

Frankie! Frankie, wait up.

Eddie, you're gonna have to lead 'em off.

Why does he lead 'em? Why can't I lead them?

You need to handle music for customer arrival.

Why can't they play the didg? I'm sick of playin'.

I wanna dance! Kev, I wanna dance.

Scott, you gotta get some fluidity. Shut the hell up, Spiderman.

Oh, whatever, dopey. Oh, piss off, hostel scum.

Stuff you, Gucci Arnie wannabe,

LL Cool J imitation, black hulk, try-hard bitch!

Now listen up!

I'm the boss here and I say what's what, okay?

Okay?

Yeah.

Yep.

Now, listen. You fellas need to stick together.

Can't just fight and have a free-for-all now.

You gotta be stronger than that. You gotta stick together.

Back each other up. Look after each other.

Now, does anybody have an inkling about Frankie boy?

I think it's his dad's anniversary.

Oh, frig me Rome.

Gee, that's gone quick.

Come on, yubbas. We got work to do.

WOMAN: Where ya goin', neph?

Nephew! Where ya goin'?

Hey, boy, now don't be like that.

Hey, Djarn Djarn.

Now, you listen, Djarn Djarn fella.

We're goin' that way and I know you're goin' that way.

So we can go there together, eh?

What's your name?

Frank.

Ah! Frank who?

Frank Dollar.

Well, come on, Mr Dollar. We're offering you a ride.

I'm goin' to Mount Morgan.

Well, we're off to Scrub Hill.

Do your seatbelt, Djarn Djarn fella.

This is all Darambal country. My dad's country.

He always come here when he was sad.

Made him strong again till, you know...

that sickness got my father.

He was our protector. Always looked after us.

Protect us against everything.

Everything.

Hey, neph, you can sing, eh?

There's no such thing as a free lunch where we come from.

Isn't that right, Gummy? That's right.

See? At least the Gumpster's got a bit of respect

in that fragile frame of his. (Laughs)

RADIO SONG PLAYS SOFTLY

You know this?

Mum and Dad's favourite.

Well! Now get down and get dirty with me.

(Both sing with radio) * Sugar, tea...

* Oh, no, no, no... don't ya know that it's killing me?

* Oh, I got it bad Got those mission ration blues

* My dad used to be a hunter Huntin' on the plain

* Fishin' by the river There was plenty of game

* Plenty of trees, plenty of meat

* But all those families try to eat

* My flour, sugar and tea

* Oh, no, no, no

* That's all they gave to the whole family...

(Original song) * Flour, sugar and tea

* Oh, no, no, no... Don't ya know that it's killing me? *

And once again, folks, once more, the Djarn Djarn Dancers!

So this is it, eh?

Yeah.

All right, my little man...

You're a good boy, Frank Dollar.

You must be all right if the Gumpster likes ya.

You take care.

You're going to be a strong warrior one day.

We need you, boy.

Hey! Now close that door now.

See you then, neph.

'Nother day, 'nother dollar. Whoo hoo!

You're my little angel.

Cos when you come into our lives, everything turned up roses for us.

You'll always be my angel.

My beautiful Maddie girl.

And you, boy...

Don't be a gunnin' gunnin' fella.

Gotta be the main man now.

A main protector.

But you'll always be my boy.

My big eleven-year-old boy.

Pressure makes diamonds, Frankie.

Pressure makes diamonds.

I miss you, Dad.

I'm no diamond.

I want you here. Right here, right now.

Hey, Frankie!

DIDGERIDOO PLAYS

(Boys make rhythmic sounds)

When family comes together, despite everything...

there's love.

And that's what my father taught me.

I know I can't be with you. But you're with me, Dad.

Because we dance the dances you taught me, in our country,

and you'll always be a part of that.

And you are that.

ALL: Go, Scottie. Go, Scottie...

People say that they'll stand by you when you're hurt,

but when it happens, most of them don't care.

(All chatter)

Yeah, I'll go. This is how a woodpecker eats.

Here's how the Incredible Hulk eats.

No, no, no... This is how Jackie Chan eats.

No, this is how Spiderman eats.

ALL: Go Eddie. Go Eddie...

Go Maddie. Go Maddie...

But us Djarn Djarns, us Murris...

we're gonna stick together.

We gotta stick together.

SONG: * I walk through the valley

* Seen the darkness below

* Seen my soul rise above

* Some place I didn't know

* Tonight I'm down on an angel Gettin' it on in love

* I'm puttin' on a show The moon rises high above

* So tomorrow we'll run And the next day we'll hide

* No lovin' arms gonna rise from the grave

* And lead us down the way To save our restless souls. *

Captions (c) SBS Australia 2005