The Fringe Dwellers Reviews

The plight of the Aborigine has long been a preoccupation of Australian filmmakers. Here director-writer Beresford returns to his native land to film a novel by an Aborigine woman. Nehm plays the central figure, the beautiful daughter of Saunders and Maza. She and her brother and sister live in a corrugated tin shack on the edge of town, part of a shantytown of Aborigines who have formed a tight and supportive community despite grinding poverty and racism. Saunders persuades her family to move from their shack to a new house in a middle-class suburb, where they soon realize they don't fit among neighbors who are alternately condescending and cruel. Well crafted throughout, the film benefits from excellent performances by all concerned, particularly Nehm and Saunders. Beresford's directorial style has always favored actors over sweeping settings, and this keeps FRINGE DWELLERS right where it belongs, among the characters.