Frog Dreaming
Frog Dreaming is a 1986 Australian family adventure film written by Everett De Roche and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It starred Henry Thomas, Tony Barry, Rachel Friend and Tamsin West.
Plot
An American boy, Cody (Thomas), whose parents have died, lives in Australia with his guardian, Gaza. Cody is very imaginative, inventive, and inquisitive. He builds things in his garage, including a railbike which he uses to get around. Cody comes across some strange events happening in Devil's Knob national park associated with an Aboriginal myth about "Frog Dreamings" and Bunyips, terrifying water monsters that prey on humans. Cody tries to investigate. The occurrences revolve around a lake where a bunyip the locals call "Donkegin" supposedly lives. Another myth explored by the children is the story of the Kurdaitcha Man who acts as a sort of Australian version of the Boogey Man as well as a supernatural judge who deals out punishment. The children are told that he punishes any wrongs done according to the laws of the ancient Aborigines including harm to one another, murder of animals without need for food, and destroying the environment (his appearance being most notable according to myth when white men came). The Kurdaitcha Man supposedly wanders the countryside, specifically at night, and wears shoes made of Emu feathers in order to cover any tracks.
Awards
More details
author | Everett De Roche |
---|---|
award | AACTA Award for Best Editing |
contentLocation | Victoria |
director | Brian Trenchard-Smith |
editor | Brian Kavanagh |
genre | adventure drama fantasy |
keywords | aboriginal australia boogey man bunyip diving suit donkey engine draisine drown excavator flood happen heart attack homeless man indigenous australian kurdaitcha mine national park oxygen tank railbike strange events terrify think water monster |
musicBy | Brian May |
nomination | AACTA Award for Best Editing AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score AACTA Award for Best Production Design AACTA Award for Best Sound |
producer | Barbi Taylor |
productionCompany | Middle Reef Productions UAA Films Western Film Productions |
publisher | Event Cinemas |
theme | children's adventure |