WALKABOUT

Sunday, September 14th at 1:00 p.m.
and Monday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m.
Free admission

All ESSENTIAL CINEMA films screen Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and Monday at 7:00 p.m., and admission is FREE!
See classic art films the way they were meant to be seen - on the big screen in glorious new 35 mm prints!

"A superb work of storytelling that is endlessly fascinating." - Roger Ebert, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Nicolas Roeg's (The Man Who Fell to Earth) solo directorial debut is a haunting, unconventional narrative film that presents a bleak vision of civilized life as arid and unrewarding.
Abandoned in the Australian outback, two young white children (Jenny Agutter and Roeg's son Lucien) stumble upon an adolescent Aborigine (David Gulpilil), who is performing a "walkabout." In this ritualistic six-month journey, the boy must learn to survive by himself in the imposing desert. Communication is a problem, although more for the girl than for her little brother, who still has a child's ability to communicate simply and directly. The two teenagers fail to connect for a variety of reasons, mostly due to the girl's lack of interest in a culture that is unfamiliar and different from her own. Ultimately, the differences become too much to bear, resulting in a tragic conclusion.
Based on the novel by James Vance Marshall, WALKABOUT is a powerful commentary on pastoral simplicity versus cosmopolitan clutter, and features stunning cinematography from Roeg, as well as an amazing performance by first-time actor David Gulpilil as the Aboriginal guide.

(Nicolas Roeg, 1971, UK, 100 mins., Rated R)