Beneath Clouds

Lena is blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Most see her as white at first glance. She has an Aboriginal mother and an Irish father. When her mother gets her brother arrested, she decides to leave. She fails to get back on the bus at a stop. She starts walking and is joined by Vaughn. He escaped from low security prison work detail to go home to see his sick mother. The two struggle over views as they sometimes hitch rides.

There is a quiet sincerity personified by Lena. It is slow at times with its quietness. However, there is also a magnetism about the two leads. The young actors possess a dignity and power within them. It's an intriguing theatrical debut for filmmaker Ivan Sen.

a story of a young half-caste aboriginal girl in australia who is on a journey from her broken home in the country to sydney where her father, an irishman, lives. On her journey she meets a young boy who is on his way home aswell, after escaping a youth detention camp in the outback. The theme of conflict between Australian aboriginals and whites is presented in the journey. The boy is heading towards a future of problems and she is on her way to hope. I saw this movie at the Australian international film festival in sydney and had a chance to talk with the director after. It was two years ago but when i sit down to start a new script i am always reminded of this films subtle beauty and perfect structure. an amazing piece of art, i highly recommend it

There are very few movies that I will want to watch more than once, but Beneath Clouds is definitely one of them.

The majority of movies I have seen over the past years were very much focused on plot development and I think most viewers will expect a movie to be heavy on the storyline.

What I expect from a movie is something totally different, though. None of my favourite movies have a a memorable or particularly well developed storyline. However, they all have something in common. All of them have a very powerful and gripping atmosphere, and it is this atmosphere that comes to my mind whenever I think back of these movies. Not a particular scene, a particular quote or a masterly twist in the storyline, not the visual effects or the sophisticated sound.

This movie would be just as enjoyable watching it from a low quality videotape on a black and white telly with low sound quality.

Beneath Clouds instantly became a favourite with me, from the very first moments I started watching it. I love this movie, simply because it gives you an experience, a combination of vision, sound, thought and emotion that cannot be described with words and that is exactly what I expect from a movie.

If you think what I am saying here is b.ll.cks and doesn't make sense - well, it's up to you. But if you know what I am blathering about you will understand and LOVE this movie. Wochit.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath Clouds, and thought it was a fantastic film all round...especially since it is part of the rise of Aussie films dealing with Aborigines (both historical and contemporary). The main thing that struck me with the film, however, was the similarities it had with Tom Tykwer's work (specifically The Princess And The Warrior, and to a lesser extent Heaven). I thought the mood, depth of emotion and the manner in which the story was told was almost identical to Tykwer's work. I mainly am writing this to see if anyone else shared my thoughts on this. Considering that Tykwer is one of my favourite directors I guess this was the only aspect of the film that disappointed me (there's nothing wrong with either mimicking or coincidentally sharing stylistic aspects, it's just that I couldn't stop thinking 'this is a Tykwer film' when watching it).

With the concept of what Australian is being challenged and revised in contemporary Australian society, this film hits home hard. A challenge for a connection with the great geography of the Australian landscape and an identity crisis. It reinforces the Aboriginal context of Australian history and the effects of what modern Aboriginality deals with. Fabulous movie! Emotive, raw and definitely Australian! 'Beneath Clouds' also captures the spirit of Australian youth and the mateship that had underpinned almost every friendship of every Australian. The Australian spirituality of inextricable connection to the land is also emphasised through the scenery filmed. A personal journey is also presented: beautiful, intimate and detailed. Though the characters share dissimilarity, it is the force that brings them together and reinforces the Australian notion of mateship, identity and spirituality.