Story
Satellite Boy is about a 12-year-old Aboriginal boy, Pete (Cameron Wallaby). Pete lives in an abandoned outdoor cinema with his grandfather Jagamarra (David Gulpilil) in Kimberley. Although his grandfather lives by the traditional ways, Pete dreams of his mother returning from her hospitality course in the city and of opening a restaurant together with her.A construction company tells Pete and Jagamarra that they must vacate the cinema because the site is going to be used to build storage containers. So Pete decides to travel into the city to plead their case. He takes his best friend Kalmain (Joseph Pedley) along for company.During their journey, the boys must live off the land to survive. Despite running out of food and water, taking many wrong turns and needing to evade the police, the boys make it into the city. More adventures and challenges are waiting for them there.
Themes
Friendship; independence; freedom versus duty; culture and tradition
Violence
This movie has some violent scenes:
Sexual references
None of concern
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None of concern
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
This movie has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Satellite Boy is a heart-warming tale of one boy’s determination to protect the place he calls home.
During the story, Pete realises that his cultural roots mean far more to him than he ever imagined. He learns the value of the survival skills his grandfather taught him, and he realises that the appeal of the city doesn’t really last. Although the movie touches on some of the darker issues affecting indigenous youth, the uplifting ending – with Pete fully embracing his cultural heritage – demonstrates the growth and transformation that people can go through.
The movie shows the consequences of running away from home. It also sends a clear message that violence is almost never a good solution and sometimes makes matters worse.
Younger children might find some of the scenes and the family relationships of the two young boys disturbing. But there are many interesting issues to talk about with older children.