Synopsis

Eleven-year-old Frankie Dollar is the leader of the Djarn Djarns, a group that performs traditional Aboriginal dances. There's always plenty going on at the cultural centre where the dancers often perform and they seem to be very much in demand on this particular day. But Frankie's really in the doldrums because one year ago to the day, his father died. Now he needs his friends more than ever.

The Djarn Djarns is the story of a young Aboriginal boy who, in the course of one day, negotiates grief and friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Hunter Page-Lochard, who plays the lead role of Frankie, manages this challenging mix of emotions with charm and strength.

Frankie's journey is set against contrasting worlds: the razzle-dazzle showbiz of the Dreamtime Centre where Frankie is a traditional dancer - or djarn djarn - and the dark domestic history of the death of Frankie's father, the absence of his mother and Frankie's subsequent sexual abuse by his mother's white boyfriend.

The link between these worlds in Frankie's life is the love of his fellow djarn djarns. It is that mateship between boys that makes The Djarn Djarns, despite its difficult dramatic terrain, a hopeful film that is, by turns, poignant, disturbing, satirical and funny.

About Wayne Blair

Wayne grew up in Rockhampton, so it makes only sense that the film was shot there at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, or, as Wayne puts it, "Dreamworld for Blackfellas" (A reference to Dreamworld at the Gold Coast). He must know the centre, because once he was working there as a dancer himself.

The film, according to Wayne, has lots of real drama build-in. One of the messages the film should deliver is that "if someone looks happy but inside is weak, give strength and love to that person."