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Clip description
Kev (Hugo Weaving) strips off by a billabong. He gets in the water and pulls the reluctant, fully clothed Chook (Tom Russell) in for an impromptu swimming lesson on an old and ruthless principle: learn how to swim, or else sink.
Curator’s notes
The scene shows the more harsh and brusque side of Kev’s relationship to his son. He seems to genuinely think that throwing Chook into deep water is a great way to teach him to swim, but his laughter at the boy’s distress appears cruel and insensitive. Kev regards it as doing the right thing, though – giving the boy a bit of tough love.
In a later scene the father and son will find another swimming hole, only this time Kev will react in a very different way. The two scenes form a pair that illustrate the hard-soft duality of Kev’s character and the development of their relationship.
