A young man must protect his disabled brother from his father and other townsfolk in Nathan Mewett and Curtis Taylor’s Yulubidyi—Until The End. Set in a remote West Australian Aboriginal community of Martu. Our protagonist is the only one willing to care for his disabled brother, who is wheelchair-bound and relies on him for the most essential functions.
Life is a little complicated for our hero. His father is the head of the tribe, and his younger brother is a spotlight of great shame for the elder. It doesn’t help that his only “normal” son is the younger’s protector. The older son is beaten and ridiculed for this. We get a glimpse of his father’s disdain with a close “accident” during target practice.
“…the only one willing to care for his disabled brother…”
Our story is narrated by the older brother, who describes a mythical creature known as the “Mamu.” He remembers the day his brother was born and how his father left him in the middle of nowhere to die, but the Mamu rescued him.
Yulubidyi is a story we can all relate to, set in an Aboriginal community in Australia, which admittedly, I know very little about. It’s a beautiful tale about steadfast loyalty juxtaposed against the brutal dysfunction of family. Mewett and Taylor tell a compelling and sympathetic story about those with disabilities that will resonate with all cultures.
Yulubidyi—Until The End screened at the 2019 HollyShorts Film Festival.
"…"...steadfast loyalty juxtaposed against the brutal dysfunction...""
