Beneath Clouds (ATOM Study Guide)

The film Beneath Clouds takes us on the journey that Lena and Vaughn embark on, as they each try to escape their past, and head into a different future. Lena is a fair skinned indigenous Australian girl who lives with her Aboriginal mother and brother in a small isolated country town. She feels that there are no life choices for her there other than teenage pregnancy and little else. Lena longs for the Irish father she never knew and the chance to find the part of her identity that is not connected with the Australian bush. One day when she has had enough and her family problems seem overwhelming, Lena decides impulsively to leave. She hits the road with little money, a backpack, and an album of photos that are her only connection with her father.Beneath Clouds will have relevance to students of cultural studies, Indigenous studies, Australian studies, Studies of Society and Environment, English, Drama and Media studies. The film is suitable for students from middle to senior secondary school and at the tertiary education level. Many of the activities are based on an integrated curriculum approach, drawing on English skills, as well as content understanding from other disciplines.