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Unfinished Sky
Starring William McInnes, Monic Hendrickx and David Field. Directed by Peter Duncan. 91 mins. Rated M (moderate themes, violence and coarse language).

This Australian movie, filmed on location at an old homestead (Wyambin) in Beaudesert, Queensland, tells the story of a reclusive outback farmer, John Woldring (William McInnes) who hesitantly befriends Tahmeena, an illegal Afghan refugee (sensitively played by Monic Hendrickx), who has fled from captivity in a brothel and finds herself on the road by John’s farm.

The film is a re-make of a Dutch movie called The Polish Bride in which Monic Hendrickx also starred. Plot and setting don’t exactly fit and the ending disappoints a little, but psychological and emotional overtones bring to the film considerable complexity and impact. This is a political-romantic story of a growing love between two injured people. John Woldring is injured by his self-imposed isolation and grief over the death of his wife; and Tahmeena is injured by the hurt others have done to her. The mutual hesitancy of both of them is slowly replaced by trust and love.

The Australian landscape provides excellent contrast with the human drama that unfolds. John is emotionally isolated from the community by his own choice; and Tahmeena is struggling to regain trust after her abuse; and she has virtually no English to cope. Interestingly, Tahmeena’s words in her own language are never subtitled. The audience and the principal characters have to find in common the ways to understand her; and meaning comes through visual and emotional cues.

Trust rescues both characters for different reasons. It comes for Tahmeena from the support that John provides. It comes for John through the understanding and emotional support that Tahmeena senses he wants. Given Tahmeena’s past abuse one might expect that strength flows from John to her, but as the film develops we come to understand John’s spiritual isolation. Growing trust comes from strength flowing from each to the other. The movie is about finding the courage to trust and love again.

The source of the film’s title is a giant jigsaw puzzle of a sky. The puzzle is meant to be an impossible one to finish and, just when it looks to be almost completed, John and Tahmeena pull it apart, perhaps to reflect their new-found relationship.

Peter W. Sheehan is an associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting.

Correction:
The film classification rating for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in Kairos Vol 19 Issue 9 was incorrect. The film is rated M (frequent battle violence) and not
PG (mild fantasy violence, some scenes may upset
young children).