Director Rolf de Heer's Dingo, beautifully remastered by the team at the National Film and Archive, may of been produced 20 years ago, though this story is timeless. It begins in 1969 in an small West-Australian town when unexpectedly a 747-jet plane lands on the tiny airstrip. As the residents rush to the plane the hatch opens to reveal Billy Cross (Miles Davis), a famous Jazz Musician.
Young John "Dingo" Anderson is mesmerised by the unique sound and this becomes the defining moment of his life-long love of the trumpet. Dingo (Colin Friels) grows up, has a family, and forms a small bush band. His job as a dingo trapper sees him traveling with a beaten up caravan for up to weeks at a time with only his faithful dog and trumpet to ward off the isolation.
Years go by and he relentlessly sends demo tapes to music companies and letters to Billy Cross, all of which go unanswered. What starts a joke, one of the bush band members and neighbour, sends him a telegram from one of the Music Labels saying they love his music and Dingo is over the moon. That is until he realises he's been had. Devastated and embarrassed there's only one thing left to do... go to Paris and find Billy Cross.
This would have to be the best Australian film I've seen in a long while. Colin Friels and Miles Davis music, what more could you ask for? But there's more, throw in breathtaking outback Australian landscape and some wild, impetus daydreaming and I was humming joyfully all the way home.
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