Australian
Screen

Clip description

Bra Boys members recall how their group started in the early 1990s. For Sunny and Koby Abberton and Jack Kingsley the Bra Boys were a means of survival. Aboriginal former pro-surfer Maurice Cole touches on the darker side of the brotherhood with its tendency towards tribal warfare and localism, while Tracks surfing magazine editor Sean Doherty says that by disregarding localism you ignore that 'people are actually proud of where they come from’. The clip features interviews with, and video footage and photographs of, Bra Boys members. A music track about the Bra Boys plays in the background.

Curator’s notes

This clip shows how, in the case of the formation of the Bra Boys, brotherhood and loyalty are closely tied to localism and tribalism. The social dysfunction that the group emerged from is recognised as producing antisocial behaviour. The contrasting elements of loyalty and protectionism, fostered by a strong identification with people and place, are illustrated through the shifting atmosphere built into this clip. This is achieved with an evocative soundtrack underneath the first person recollections of Sunny, Koby and Jack, and a series of clips culminating in a brawl. Pride in origins and pride of place is a double-edged sword with the threat of violence always on the periphery.

Perhaps the most significant achievement of Bra Boys is the way it shows the individuals behind some negative stereotypes, through interviews with members of the group. This clip is a good example of how the film does not excuse the group’s behaviour, but seeks to explain and contextualise it within the complex social and political forces shaping their urban and cultural landscape. It challenges the viewer to question the extent of society’s accountability in producing the men of tomorrow.