All language subtitles for Strange Colours (Alena Lodkina, 2017)

"This project was realised on the
traditional land of the Yuwaalaraay people.

"The filmmakers wish to acknowledge them
as the traditional custodians,

and we pay our respects to their Elders,
past, present and future."

"STRANGE COLOURS"

Milena?

Frank.

Max sent me to get you.

- Oh, hi.
- How are you?

Good, good.

Big trip?
About 18 hours or so?

Yeah, something like that.

- Here, let me.
- No, it's fine.

OK. Car's over this way.
Come on.

I'll go run a few errands in town, yeah?

- See you later.
- See ya.

Cheers, mate.

He's not a bad bloke.

He works hard, you know.

You look all frozen.

- Frozen up.
- I don't know what to say.

I don't know what to say.

How you feeling? Are you all right?
Or what's going on?

What's going on in life,
and all that stuff? Tell me.

I'm going to stay here for a little while,

and then I'm going to keep going
up to Alice Springs.

Going to live out there for a while.

And what's there?

Got a friend can get me a job there.

You're not just bouncing around the country
like a tennis ball, are ya?

Are you from here?

No, Newcastle.

How'd you end up out here?

I was up in Queensland,
in the coal mines.

A mate came down here for a drive,
I came with him.

That was a couple of years ago now.

You're going to be right for water.

- Yeah.
- Shower's through there.

Do you need hot water?

- No.
- OK, that's fine, then.

There's none around here.

Spare bed.

There's a snake in here.

Oh, it's just a python.

It's OK.

Got no venom in their fangs.

He can't hurt you.

Here, quick, grab us a bag.

- Pillowcase?
- Yeah, perfect.

All good.

He'll look after you while you're here.

Do you reckon there's anything else?

No.

No, I'm all good. Thank you.

Don't want to have a beer?

No, I'm all right.

I'll head off.

Take care.
I'll catch you soon, yeah?

- Yeah.
- OK.

- All right.
- See ya.

See ya.

Hello?

- Anyone in there?
- Who are you?

I'm Martin, and this is Rat, and...

- We're friends of your dad's.
- Yeah.

And he asked us to call in
and see whether you're all right.

Well, I'm OK. Thank you.

Yeah, well, you sure?

What are you doing
sitting in the dark, mate?

You got a generator here.
You want us to start it?

I'll go and start the gennie.

So, what are you up here
just to see the old fella and...?

Yeah, I'm passing through, so...

Passing through,
on the road to nowhere.

Hello. Let there be light.

Now we can see ya.

Yeah.

Yeah, not bad.

Can finally see ya.

Yeah.
She's prettier than I thought.

She's a beautiful little girl.

Your mum must've been pretty then, ay?

'Cause your old man is not real pretty.

Yeah, she was... she was beautiful.

Still alive?

No, she died.

Passed away.

Now you only got the old fella.

Yeah, but he's all right.
He's coming good.

- He was a bit crooked for a while.
- Yeah, I saw him earlier today.

Yeah, that's right.

- Was he alive?
- Yeah.

I can't quite hear ya,
because I've been working

with jackhammers all me life,

and I'm going a bit deaf too.

Getting older, too.

- Yeah?
- You hear me?

Yeah.

Whatever.

So you, uh, live nearby?

Oh, just round the corner
and down the road.

OK.

Don't fart too loud.

Don't fart too loud?

Yeah, I can hear it.
That's how close I am.

OK.

I'll tell you what,
the ridge is a hard place to leave

once you get the taste of it.

- Yeah?
- Oh, yeah.

Why do you think your dad's here
and we're here?

It's all people like that, you know?

Just come here, and they found
the lifestyle beautiful,

and they can just live here.

Even if you're broke,
you can live here.

Anyhow, we're gonna go to the party.
You don't want to come to this party?

I'm OK. I think I'll stay here.

Well, you got to... that's the only way
you're gonna meet people.

You can't just sit here by yourself.

- Maybe another night.
- Yeah, for sure. But...

Yeah, all good.

OK.

We'd better drink up
and get going, I think.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

- Cheers, big ears.
- Cheers.

We're off.

Hello, you found me.

Told you it wasn't far.

How you doing?

I was just going for a walk,
trying to find my way to town.

It's too hot to be walking into town now.

I'll just...

...turn this tap off.

The pigeons... giving them a drink.

These all yours?

Yeah, I breed 'em up to eat.

Would you like to pat one?

Pat one?

- OK.
- Won't bite.

Only a baby, that one.

How old?

Only just a couple of months old.
I'll put him back.

Would you like to come in
for a cold beer?

I'll show you around me camp.

A beer?

It's a bit early, isn't it?

It's never too early for a beer.

- OK.
- This way.

You don't get lonely out here?

No, not really. I prefer the quiet.

Nice and peaceful.

Maybe one day... get a woman.

What about you?
You got a bloke?

- No.
- No?

Why? Look at ya.

Beautiful.

I don't want one.

Sore point?

You got a visitor.

How's it going?

- John.
- How are you?

Meet Milena, mate.
That's Max's daughter.

Hello Milena, pleasure to meet you,
how you going?

Heard about you.
You're Max's daughter, ay?

- Yeah.
- How's your Dad going?

- Ah, good.
- Yeah?

Up and about
and kicking goals, or what?

Still in hospital.

- Yeah?
- But he said he's feeling better, so...

If I know Max,
he's gonna discharge himself

and tell 'em to get stuffed.

- That's what'll happen.
- Straight to the pub.

Straight to the pub.

That's the best medicine sometimes.

What are you up to, Wog?
Just cruising through?

Yeah, I just had a few things to do.

I went into town to pick up
those four panels I ordered the other day

out at Riley's, out at Glengarry.

I got myself a regulator, too.
Got a good price.

52 bucks, for a 40 amp-er.
That's not bad.

I suppose if it does the job,
it'll be all right.

Well, I got two panels...
I mean, four panels.

They're all 200 watt-ers each.

- What are they?
- Solar panels.

Oh, OK.

Yeah, because I want to go bigger
in me camp.

That way I don't have to worry
about anything.

So you only hanging around
for a couple of days, ay?

Yeah, I don't know yet, I mean...

Pretty hard place to leave, this place,
once you get to know it.

- I was gonna say.
- Really?

You might be here a few weeks
or months or forever.

You wouldn't know.

Especially if you hook up
with a good young gentleman.

If he mines he's got a few bob, ay?

It'd be hard to go.

You know how many people have turned up
here for a week or two, just dropping by?

Still here 15, 20 years later.

- Really?
- Yep. Haven't moved.

- Why?
- They said, "Well, we can't find anywhere worse.

This is the best place going."

It's on the line.

It's on the line.

Yeah, it's here. It's on the line.

Yeah, that's right, good on you.

I was gonna say, chalk up.

Have another go, Mick.
Chalk up.

Chalk up.

You can map out where things were
on the graph.

Using that Russian technology.

No, that Russian technology,
they go down about 80 foot in the crust,

and they diagnose the soil
and the layers, yeah.

Yeah, opal, gold.

- Gold is gonna be this dense.
- Whatever.

Opal is kind of a cross
between silica and water.

It's 15 on the table, so nothing down.
Nothing down.

- Nothing down!
- That's what I thought!

You just want to put me off
my fucking shot.

One down!

That was a good try,
it was a good try.

- That's what I reckon.
- How are ya?

I'm good. Hi.

- Milena.
- Milena, I'm Luke.

- Nice to meet you.
- Haggis.

I was gonna call you mate,
but I'll call you Milena.

- Milena mate. How's that?
- Pleased to meet ya.

- This is Max's daughter.
- Oh, Max's daughter! Yeah, right.

Yeah, your old man's got a claim
down near mine.

How long have you lived out here?

I've been here 20 years now.

20 years?

And I still look this young,
can you believe it?

- Oh, you look amazing.
- Thank you.

I come out here when I was 80,
and I feel like I'm 40.

- It's the bore baths, yeah?
- Now I might be something in between.

That's some good water
in those bore baths.

- See those reds inside the green?
- Let me see.

- That makes them a little bit more worth it.
- Oh, yeah, yeah.

But then, you get real big pieces
of blue-green,

up in the area
where your old man's mine is.

So the opal's different
in different places?

No two pieces are the same.

Heading home soon, if you want a lift.

No.

What star sign are you?

What are you?

I'm an Aries.

Good at starting things,
bad at finishing them.

I'm an Aries as well.

Do you believe that stuff?

Hard to say.

Something... running through...
the environment.

I don't know.
It's a life force or something.

Just a constant. It's everywhere.

It's in us all.

We step in, we die, we fall out.

Yeah.

I don't know.

I guess I believe in
what's here and now.

You know...

My fucked-up father calls me,
tells me he's dying.

Here I am.

Alright, Frank.
Goodnight.

Night!

Orion? The saucepan, you mean?

Looks like a saucepan?

- Yeah.
- That's them, yeah.

Well, that's Orion the Hunter.

The saucepan,
that's part of his belt.

And the two bright ones
down below him are his dogs.

Ursa Minor. Ursa Major.
That's the stars.

That's the eyes of his hunting dogs.

And the rest of the stars,
when they are all joined up

make Orion the Hunter.

Where were you yesterday?

I was actually waiting, you know, and...

Too hard, was it,

to drop two bob in a phone
and say you wouldn't be coming in?

I don't have to do that.

No, you don't have to do it.

You equate me to something
lower than fish shit.

You don't know what I think.

No, you wouldn't know shit from clay,
I'm telling ya.

Excuse me?

You've got your head in a fucking barrel,
looking for the corner.

Now, I'm telling ya, you're new in town,
and don't tell me not to fucking worry.

You can't tell me what to do.

I'm trying... I was worried about you!
I'm trying to tell you something.

You can't stop me worrying.

You don't know the thoughts
that went on in my head.

Milena!
Hey, you're walking?

Yeah, I was just heading back.

Yeah, OK.
I'm just popping down the mine.

You want to come for a spin?

A lot of money has been dug up
around here.

A German bloke dug up
about 2.3 mil just over there.

Stingy bugger still lives in a caravan.

What would you do? Buy a yacht?

Yeah. Yeah, why not?

Yeah, I'd sail up over the top end
and see the Kimberleys.

Yeah, no one ever gets there.

Reckon I'd end up in Cuba.

That'd be great.

Look, anyway, here we are.

Happy to go first?

- Yeah.
- All right.

You've climbed a ladder?

Yeah, all right.

Be careful. Hang on tight.

Nice.

All this used to be underwater.

They reckon it was part of an inland sea.

So...

We're digging along the fault line.

That's where the gems hide out.

Just working our way
along the wall here.

It's all luck, really.

Some people have it.

Some people don't.

Fuck, sorry.

What is it?

Max, he's been frothing at the mouth.

He's worried there's someone
hanging around here.

A thief. Stealing opal.

I thought I saw something out there.

It's probably nothing.

Yeah, let's get going.

What the fuck, Frank?

- What?
- You're trying to scare me.

Wouldn't do that.

I grew up surfing.

I miss it.

We can get going, yeah?

No. It's OK.

What do you do for work?

I was studying psychology.
I took a break.

I'll go back and finish it next year.

You got everyone sussed out, yeah?

Perhaps.

What the fuck ya doing out here?

Going the wrong way, mate.
You want a lift?

- Yeah.
- Hop in, and we'll go.

Surprise.

Checked myself out.

Dig in... if you want.

They're really good for you.

Hey, Boo Boo.

Get me a pic-a-nic basket.

I've been afraid of you.

I don't want to be.

Mate.

Frank.

They cut you loose, ay?

Yeah, had to heckle them a bit.

Yeah, good.
Good to see you.

What the fuck
are you doing here, anyway?

Feeding the chooks.

Got some little fellas here, mate.
Got some good colour.

Plenty of bigger ones in that claim.

I trust you've been
keeping an eye on the claim.

Every day, mate.
It's all pretty... pretty right.

Mate, how was it in hospital?

Things went all right?

Well...

Good as they can be, I suppose.

Yeah...

Now, that's good.

You're very good.

I've had this idea for a while.

See all this shit here?

Down there.

I've got some... tin,

some real good insulation,

and what I'll do
is put a proper roof on here.

And I'll turn this patio into a bedroom,
and that's for you.

You stay as long as you want.
It's yours.

Still no lights.

Still no lights?

Now try it.

Can you do me a favour and hold that?

Fuck me dead.

Can I have that? Yeah.

Gonna have a go, or what?

Bore water.

Good for ya.
It's got sulphur.

Good for your flesh and bones.

Hello, mate.

Hello, mate.
Put some clothes on, ya pale cunt.

You're burning me fucking eyes.

I've seen that purple cunt last night.

I was driving along,
and he was just near your claim.

Just giving you the heads up

that... you know that place
just near Hippie's Joint?

Well, just an idea,
he could be stopping there.

Right. All right.
Thanks for the heads up.

All right, mate.

We've had a...
thieving, ratting bastard

going down the claim
for a couple of months.

Makes me fucking blood boil.

So what I did is I set up a...

fucking dye bomb on a sensor

to go off at head level.

It's got that purple industrial dye in it.

And so, when he went down our claim,
thieving something,

he set it off.

It's fucking gone off,
and he's all purple.

With any luck, the bastard's blind.

Max?

I just thought I heard something
outside the window.

I didn't hear anything.

- It's all right.
- OK.

Fucking lock the fucking gate.

I told you to lock the fucking thing.

I'm gonna fucking kill
that fucking maggot.

Did you lock up
the fucking claim today?

- Yeah, mate.
- You sure?

Mate, I lock it up every day.

Yeah?
Because I've just been out there,

and the fucking thing
is wide fucking open, wide open.

Yeah, right. You're kidding.
You're kidding.

No, I'm not fucking kidding.

What I want you to do is, tonight...
To-night, Frank...

I want you to go past
and make sure that it's fucking locked,

and keep an eye on the fucking joint.

- I will, I will. Can do.
- Tonight!

OK.

Good.

Jesus Christ.

Milena!

I'm going to leave tomorrow.

Milena.

Yeah?

Come here for a minute.

Sit.

Look.

What is it?

It's a tooth.

A hideous, little baby tooth.

Your baby tooth.

I don't want you to go.

You know...

We just started...
getting to know each other again.

I'm sorry.

What did you come here for?

I came here to see you.

I don't know what else
you want me to say.

Are you sure you didn't...
come here to punish me?

No.

You know what?

I'm flesh and blood.

A fucking human,
and I've got feelings.

Yeah?

Feelings I've been dragging along

as long as I've been dragging
that fucking tooth around.

So, when you prick your finger,
and you fucking bleed,

remember where the blood come from.

I can't help you.

I don't want your help.

Fucking...

Well, you got under that bastard
a little bit, see?

I might take another practice shot.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Put the wheelies up the pigeons.
- Yeah, yeah.

Somewhere there.

You hit the dirt first, see?

Fuck all on that too.

The other way, the purple
is coming through,

so it only faces on the side.

- We'll have a look.
- Right-o.

Get rid of that sharp point on the cunt.

Yeah, get him off,
he's no good to you.

Fucking sharp point.

What, are ya gonna turn it
into a wedge?

Might have to have one...

- Hi!
- What about the colour, hey?

- Hello?
- Milena!

- Yeah.
- Yeah, how you going, mate?

- Good
- Good, have a look what we're doing here.

Look at this shit over here.

Just rubbing back a few stones.
Have a look at these babies here.

They're not too bad, ay?

No, they're coming up all right,
have a look at this one.

Little gold gem and the purple
and the pink coming through.

Rat, could I borrow your car?

Oh, you could if you've got a pump
and a charged battery.

Cause it's got a flat tire
and a... flat battery.

OK. Yeah.

Oh, no worries, I'll take ya.
When do you want to go?

Now? Is that OK?

Yeah, we'll leave here
as soon as he finishes.

We'll leave you to it, all right?
I'll catch ya later.

- Do you know where Frank's place is?
- Yeah, I do know Frank's place.

I'll take you there. No worries.
It's not too far from here anyway.

Thanks.

How's he going anyway?

I don't know.

I haven't seen Frank
for a while, you know?

You know he had an accident
a while back, ay?

An accident?

Yeah, he ran over this little kid
and flattened him.

While he was reversing.

Kinda played with his head a little bit.

He did a bit of time for it.
Did about three or four years for it.

And then when he got out,
he came back up this way for a while.

Bit screwed up in the head.
He's a bit fucked, but not that bad.

Anyway.

That's what a lot of people do up this way.

Some people are running...
from the police.

Some people are running
from relationships, family, whatever.

Other people have just had
a gut-full of that sort of lifestyle,

so they come over here
to change their lives.

Nice and peaceful. It's quiet.

The bush, you know?

No stress.

It's good sometimes, you know?
You can make a quid.

And then, all of a sudden,
you're back to being broke again.

Just one of those things.

Sounds hard.

- What?
- Sounds hard.

Oy, it come back!

Was that near the brush?

Gonna crash the windows or what?

Thought you were going for pigeons.
How you going?

Good to see ya, Martin.
Hey, how you going, Frank?

Good, mate. How are you?

All right.
Getting some dinner, some pigeons.

Yeah, what are you after, some pigeons?

- You want to crack?
- That's good.

I'll have a crack at it. Why not?

Yeah, in a sec.
Frank, could I just talk to you a sec?

Yeah.

I've got to get a yellow one
so I can see. Hang on.

Have you seen Max?

No, no.

- Can I borrow the car?
- Hang on.

Where are you going?

I just need it for a sec.
I'll bring it back.

No, hang on.
I'll come with you.

No. No, no, please.

Tell me what's happening.
What are you doing?

I don't want to talk about it, OK?

I'm just going to borrow the car,
and I'll bring it back.

It's not right, you can't just rock up
and just take off like this.

No.

What's going on over there?

See you later, Frank.

I'll see you later.