Notes

There once was music in Paul’s life, but life, in a rural Australian community in 1932, is difficult as the depression makes its presence felt. Paul’s dad, once part of the music, seems a broken man with the hardships he faces, and the family suffer such economic hardship that his mother is forced to sell her beloved piano. Mourning the lost of the music, and yearning for Margaret, a girl from school, to notice him, Paul defies his parents order to not to speak to the vagrants, reputable and otherwise, that come to the door. He befriends a drifter, Eric the Red, who he finds on their property. Eric the Red, helps him make a flute and teaches him how to play it. It is through this relationship that Paul brings music back into their world, and reconnects with his family and friends.