Tarneit

BEST DIRECTOR at RHODE ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL!

In the growing suburb of Tarneit, west of Melbourne, 15-year-old Tyrone lives with his distressed mother and her abusive boyfriend Pommy. Tyrone’s best friend, Clinton, lives with his mother and older brother Shaker, in the same fast-developing housing trust crammed together for a disenfranchised society.

Both Deaf, their friendship is viewed with racism, bigotry and malice. Both long for an escape from the hopelessness that surrounds them. But despite these outward obstacles, Tyrone and Clinton are deeply bonded. Partly because they’re both Deaf, partly through a shared sense of neglect, but mostly because they share a dream of one day escaping the harsh violence that constantly swirls around them.

Tarneit speaks of longing, yearning, aspirations and vulnerabilities of young people in the far outer suburbs of Melbourne, independent of their individual backgrounds and inherited beliefs. It is also a tale of friendship, despite the divides of race, and surrounded by magical realism.