I won’t be the first to say that this warm, spiky coming of age road movie is sweet as.

Based on writer director Jub Clerc’s life as an Indigenous teen in Port Hedland, we follow Murra (Shantae Barnes-Cowan) whose life is about to veer off the tracks. Neglected and abandoned by her mum, her uncle packs her off for a seven-day troubled teens outback photography trip, much to her annoyance.

Murra doesn’t immediately connect with the three other teens. They represent certain stereotypes – Kylie (Mikayla Levy) is stroppy and under the control of her much older boyfriend, Sean (Andrew Wallace) is timid and has suicidal thoughts, Elvis (Pedrea Jackson) seems to have no problems and is well connected to his country and community. During their trek, the kids make life hard for leaders Mitch (Tasma Walton) and Fernando (Carlos Sanson Jr), Murra finds a love for photography and all of them experience the beauty of Pilbara country.

There are some expected beats here, but Clerc manages to add enough grit and awkwardness to keep it feeling real. In a Q&A after the film, Clerc talked about allowing the actors to incorporate aspects of themselves into their characters and an odd rehearsal process where they sketched out the emotions of their own character and others at key points in the story. The result is very relatable and genuine interactions between the kids (who are all playing their age) and it is remarkable that Levy and Wallace had not acted in films before.

It has been likened to The Breakfast Club but what sets this film apart is that is that it stops short of stereotypes and doesn’t offer romance (or a make over) as legitimate successes for the female characters. Clerc talked about having as many female and Indigenous crew as possible to make sure that Barnes-Cowan felt safe and supported through a rigorous filming schedule and to mentor the next generation of film makers. Clerc struggled for months to find the right music for the film and she ended up Shazaming community radio as she travelled in WA, eventually finding the perfect songs for the film, all by Indigenous artists.

Country is an additional character in the film and I love that the relationship to land and ancestors is embraced and normalised in a film that will reach a broad audience. It reminded me of Top End Wedding in its mix of humour, Country and culture. There are some nicely understated moments that hold a lot of emotion, particularly as we see the young people open up to each other and find connection.

You will be left with a warm feeling and a greater appreciation of this beautiful country.

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