8MMM Aboriginal Radio (2015) s01e04 Episode Script

1
LOLA: Hey, you mob!
I've been sitting down on my country,
and I've been thinking about it now.
You know, olden time, our land,
it been give us food,
water and shelter
.. and if we never had them, we
would trade it with another tribe.
Our way, it been work
for longest time, true?
Might be there was couple of fight,
but it been work pretty good.
Then them whitefella been come,
and they been trade
us freedom for ration.
Now we got to wait till government
mob tell us what to do.
(Raps on hollow tank)
But which government
mob we got to ask?
Stick around, you might
learn it something.
Aaaahhhhh
Look, I'm here
I'm from the bush
Don't be shy 'cause I'm black
Listen to me
Talking to you
From the bush. ♪
We got no water for our outstation.
~ Water pump been break it down.
~ What?
You know, water, for drinking,
make you lively one?
You got to give it royalty,
I got buy it water pump.
The royalty fund has been
allocated. All gone this year.
No!
I got royalty.
I got lot of gas.
Mereenie field, that my country.
I never been touch my money.
Should be full up there.
Since the intervention, royalties
are being administered differently.
The Minister has decided
that royalties no longer
go to individuals.
What, you mob going to steal
it, my money too now?
The money is still being spent
in Aboriginal communities.
Which one?
You tell me which community. I'm
got to go and get it my money back.
~ We're broke.
~ JESSIE: What's new?
We can't pay our bills.
We need to freeze wages.
What? Still expecting
us to work for rations?
This is the 20th century, you know?
JAMPAJINPA: It's the
21st century, you fool.
It's just until the department
makes a decision on our
operational grant, OK?
You know what? Us blackies
got to be on the grind,
but I'd wager the pinkies going
to be making the bread.
Hey! I work here for free.
Not dissin' you, sis. You
snug in with the mob. Word.
You're quiet, Dave.
Just taking it all in - the captain,
the rats, the sinking ship.
No. 8MMM's not going down
on my watch, alright?
They're not shutting us down.
Why they gotta do us like that?
We the voice of the peeps.
I have a little left in
my media-training fund.
That'll cover Milly's
drinks for about a week.
Alright. I got these bones and another
fiddy phat chips in my crib.
Come on, you mob, show us some grain!
That's it - crowdfunding!
~ What?
~ Well, back in old mate's day,
telethons were the thizang,
but we done upcycled
it to crowdfunding.
~ Donations from the public.
~ We'll holla to the peeps.
8MMM is their crib. They'll chuck
a little cha-ching our way.
Ah, you'll never get the
listeners to cough up.
A bit of phlegm, maybe.
I'll have five big ones by the
end of the week. Just watch.
'Your 8MMM.'
DJ Jampajinpa. Halla! Live
from the 8MMM studios.
This is your 8MMM.
8MMM's putting out an SOS to the
peeps to front up with your coin
so 8MMM can keep busting the beats!
Welcome to 8MMM. The training
room is right in the back.
~ What are they doing here?
~ That's the footballers.
They're here for Koala's
'media training'.
~ Don't you mean sperm selection?
~ (Laughs)
What's with Mount Kosciuszko?
I don't have time to
line up every day.
That's what you get paid for.
Not this week.
When was the last time
you checked the mail?
Today, obviously.
Urgh! Milly!
WOMAN, ON RECORDING: Your
call is important to us.
Please stay on the line.
What's that rubbish?
I'm on hold, trying to get an answer
about our operational grant.
Good luck with that. What's this?
It's my hours. My car lease is due.
~ Were you at the meeting?
~ Yeah.
You didn't mean me. You
and me get paid, don't we?
That doesn't sound
particularly fair, Dave.
Listen, Jake,
these people have survived 60,000
years on virtually nothing.
It's a proud tradition. Alright?
We're not as resilient.
We need our creature comforts.
Well, you might have to curb your
high-flying lifestyle for a bit.
Listen, Jakey. Jake!
Love to help you out, but
if you can't afford me,
pay out my contract,
I'll go elsewhere.
JAMPAJINPA: The man's trying
to shut us down. You hear him?
8MMM's putting out
an SOS to the peeps.
We're asking the good folk
to front up with your coin,
so 8MMM can keep busting the beats!
This is your 8MMM.
~ WOMAN, ON PHONE: Customer service.
~ Yeah, hello.
I'd like to get an extension
on a power bill.
Have you got a legitimate reason?
Our receptionist thinks collecting
mail is beneath her.
Sounds like you need
a new receptionist.
~ Yeah.
~ What's the business name?
8MMM Aboriginal Radio.
This appears to be
your second notice.
I'm not surprised. We've got
a mountain of mail to open.
There's also a history
of late payment,
so your lazy receptionist is
not exactly a legitimate excuse.
Well, I work for a
blackfella organisation,
and we are busted-arse broke.
Is that legitimate enough for you?
~ What are you doing?
~ I'm making hot dogs.
What's it look like I'm doing?
WOMAN, ON RECORDING:
Please stay on the line.
You are 32 in
~ I'm out of here.
~ Why?
First you expect me
to work for nothing,
now I've got to sweat my hole out.
What are you
I'm only staying for
the air conditioning.
It's a luxury we can't
afford right now.
Millions of people live
without air conditioning.
Yeah, well, they must
all be skinny-arses.
I'm suffering with
rub-rub. I'm red-raw.
No, that's fine! I believe you, OK?
Isn't there something
else you can do?
~ Yeah.
~ This is uncalled for. That's just
That is just wanton vandalism,
Milly! Awesome. Thank you.
Call me when the air
conditioning's back on.
Oi! What's with the no air
conditioning in 40-degree heat?
~ Why are the lights off?
~ It's Jessie's idea.
~ We're saving money.
~ Right.
You're on some kind
of bloody power trip.
(Laughs) Yeah, literally.
~ 'You are 32 in the queue.'
~ No, that's not funny.
KOALA: Um, welcome, everyone.
It's my first time. Usually,
Jessie does this.
So, this training course is
about giving you confidence
when speaking to the media,
be it print, radio or television.
And to do that, you'll need to know
what they'll expect from you
.. and how to give
them what they need
without it seeming like
it's been rehearsed.
Come on, fellas, keep it together.
It's really nothing to be anxious
about. That's what I'm here for, OK?
You might think you
just play football.
Actually, it's Sorry,
I've got to go.
~ (Guys laugh)
~ What? Um
I'm sorry. What
Was it that boring?
No. Not boring.
She's all sticky. Her legs
are sticking to the chair
and she's fanning her downstairs.
And you saw?
(All laugh)
Should have been there, man.
~ (Knocks)
~ (Coughs)
Ooh!
Sorry to interrupt. I was
They can't even look at me!
What did I do?
Nah, nah, nah. Nothing.
I have to get media
training done tonight,
otherwise we'll have to repay the
grant, and Jessie will kill me.
Trippin'! What are you going to do?
Hide? Hide from Jessie?
Might work.
JESSIE: Hey, anybody seen Koala?
~ DAVE: It's not yours, you old bag.
~ JUDY: It's mine.
~ DAVE: It's not!
~ JUDY: It's my radio.
Why are you growling at me?
~ Give it here! It's not yours.
~ It's mine.
It's not yours! You let
go, you stupid old bag.
~ Mine!
~ It's not!
~ Not yours!
~ It's not yours!
~ It's mine.
~ You shouldn't even be
here in the first place.
~ It's not yours.
~ It's not yours!
~ It's mine.
~ Lola, can you explain
to this old bag here she can't walk
in and take whatever she wants?
~ Judy, you got no shame!
~ No.
Go on, get out! This
is for workers only.
My record too.
That's not your radio!
Yeah.
I'm only listening for your ears.
Yeah, you old bag. Get out
of here. Hey, who's that?
Look, I don't know
it every blackfella!
This place is a magnet for madness.
Give it here, Judy.
Paint atyene' emphle' we'hlbe'lhelenge'
letjetje errengeme' atyene'aye!
You're a mad one, Judy.
You're a real mad one.
~ Jakey?
~ Hm?
~ You've got to help me.
~ What?
I need it flash, whitefella, got to
take me flash government building.
I got to get it money,
buy water pump.
You mean me? I'm sorry.
I can't, Lola.
I'm on hold, and if hang up,
I'll lose my place in the queue.
~ Can you take Dave?
~ No!
Dave not good one.
Dave is magnet for
all the mad people.
Yep, I'll get my keys.
DAVE: I'm warning you,
stop chasing me!
MAN, ON PHONE: Thank you for waiting.
What can I help you with?
Jesus!
What are you doing?
~ Where's Koala?
~ No idea.
~ I'll leave you to it, then.
~ No, no, no, no, don't go!
~ How do I get him to stop chasing me?
~ Stop running.
What?
You do know we give
those away, right?
Yeah. Yeah, I do now.
Oi! Get out of here!
Put those biscuits down. Get out!
Go on! Go on, get out of here!
~ Hi.
~ Hi. What can I do for you?
Uh
I need a water pump and
tank for outstation.
Lola would like to
apply for some funding
through the Water for
Communities scheme
for a water pump and tank for
her husband's outstation.
Oh, that's what she meant. I'm
afraid there's no funding left
to be buying assets.
What, you're telling me $5 million
has already been spent?
No, I'm telling you that there's
no money to buy assets.
There is money to buy bottled water.
You're willing to fund
the cost of bottled water,
but not to fund long-term solutions,
like water pumps and tanks?
I don't make the rules. There is
money available for bottled water.
That's all you've got,
out of $5 million?
No. We have a budget for
public-awareness campaigns.
Oh, great(!)
Well
.. you might as well just be
pouring money down the drain!
Sir, if you aren't happy to talk
to me in a reasonable manner,
I'll have to ask you to leave.
Fine. Don't worry, we're
going. Come on, Lola.
Like I needed flash whitefella
get me kicked out.
~ Lola?
~ I can do that myself!
Please feel free to take
some water as you leave.
This is your 8MMM.
Come on, peeps!
I know you're listening, so let's
hear the coinage dropping.
Yeah, baby. What are you wearing?
Oh, girlfriend.
Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah.
That's real lovely.
Yes.
Show me.
~ Hey!
~ Put your trackie daks back on, love.
He'll have to call you back.
But Jampajinpa said this is our 8MMM!
Get out!
Go on!
(Door shuts)
DAVE: I've had another call
from the car-lease company.
You're gonna have to wait,
like everyone else.
No, no, no. They're actually talking
about repossessing my vehicle.
We've got staff who
aren't being paid.
Your car is the least
of our troubles.
If I don't get a car, I get
something of equal value.
There you go.
What, water? That's your pay-off?
That's $5 million worth.
JAMPAJINPA: 8MMM's putting
out an SOS to the peeps.
We're asking the good folk
to front up with your coin
so 8MMM can keep busting the beats!
Come on, you mob. Go home already.
Turn the aircon on. Good girl.
Go on, everyone out!
~ All of you, out!
~ We already paid our money.
Jampajinpa said - it's our 8MMM.
Hey, you've got to stop
playing 'Your 8MMM'.
It's gonna cost us more
than you'll ever raise.
It's on the up and up!
$70? (Laughs)
Hey, Marley, you was about to drop
some coin. Ain't that legit, bro?
~ $4?
~ What? It's not pay week.
Churchies aren't gonna save us.
Jessie, you've got to have a little
more faith in the brother.
'Your 8MMM' isn't working.
There's people in here, they're
overflowing the place,
and they don't even work here!
Give me that goldie.
What?
Ah, nothing.
I guess it wasn't
just an idle threat.
What?
I asked for an extension to
pay for the electricity bill,
and the woman got all uppity,
and, well, you know me.
~ Yeah.
~ What about the back-up generator?
There's no fuel.
What a joke.
Hey! At least it got
rid of all the ring-ins.
~ What?
~ How's the crowdfunding looking?
It be illin', boss man!
This brother, hardcore.
Boop, boop, boop!
Well, I've no idea what that
means, but it sounds promising.
Yeah, I wouldn't get too
excited if I was you.
What?
Any sign of the footballers?
Why are you bugging
me? I can't help you.
This is for you.
It won't be 'My 8MMM'
for much longer.
(Strums gently)
LOLA: Listen, Daryl -
I got to use it my BasicsCard
to buy it water tank and pump.
You get $250 a fortnight
on your card,
and you can only use that
for essential household
needs and expenses -
~ you know, the basic stuff.
~ Kwe?
Water is a basic one, isn't it?
Technically, maybe, but
a pump sounds expensive.
No, him only $15,000.
~ Surely you can get that from somewhere else?
~ No.
You mob's intervention
is a lot of money.
We all broke one now.
Look, Lola, even if you use
all your BasicsCard allowances
and paid back $250 a
fortnight, that'll be
That'll be 60 payments.
That's more than two
years to pay it back.
Can't be.
Come on! Chuck in, chuck in!
We got to buy it water pump and tank.
Nah, old man gone kangaroo shooting.
We need money for bullets.
You got BasicsCard for bullets.
BasicsCard rubbish one.
You can't buy bullets
with BasicsCard. $50?
Pump is a lot of money!
If that BasicsCard got $250,
that's 60 BasicsCards.
If I give you mob $50 each
for that BasicsCards
.. that $3,000!
Where I got to get that money?
$50!
Urgh!
Why am I turning everything off
when you're splashing out on
stupid shit like bottled water?
It was given away, OK?
Meanwhile, they can't give
a cent for Lola's water pump.
Yeah, well, no point putting money
into a pump no-one's gonna see.
No. That's what public-awareness
campaigns are for.
I'm desperate to get our
hands on some of this money.
Hey, who better to
front their propaganda
than Indigenous footballers?
That might open the
government's purse.
Faster than Koala's
hairy legs, I reckon.
Jessie! That's a bit crass. I
mean, I take your point, but
~ Hey!
~ I asked for an extension.
Nicely, this time.
(Presenter speaks Aboriginal
dialect on air)
(Phone rings)
WOMAN, ON PHONE: Hello.
Linda Wheetman.
Hey! 'Nother Mother.
Benji! You remember your white
mum? Gee, I missed you.
Aw, come on, Mum. I
called you last week.
~ Mm-hmm.
~ Anyways, I need your help.
(Sighs) More money already?
No, no, no. Not for me,
for the station, for 8MMM.
8MMM? Is the station in some sort
of trouble? I mean, if there's
Mum, they're not just
my employer, right?
They're the voice of my people.
~ (Sighs)
~ We need donations.
~ How much?
~ About $4,906.
It's a lot more than I'd
expected, Benj, but OK.
But we won't tell your father.
Thanks, Mum! You da bomb.
Yep, yep!
Woo-hoo! Woo!
(Laughs) I've been looking for you.
What you looking for?
Well, you know how Koala's been
training them football mob?
Mm.
Shorty must have been
trippin' in the heat,
'cause brothers caught
an eyeful and bailed.
Eh?
She flashed her
at the footballers!
~ What, them mob never like 'em?
~ No, they ran away.
(Laughs) What wrong
with young people?
Uh can you talk to her?
Why I got to talk for her nyange?
I ain't doing it!
Must think I'm Superman
or something. Jeez.
(Remote bleeps)
LOLA: Koala!
Koala?
Koala!
Why you hiding?
Oh, no good.
They all left and didn't come back.
Yeah. Jampajinpa been telling me.
What do I do?
~ You got budget?
~ Yeah, about $3,500 left.
~ Why?
~ You need 'em cultural advisor,
bring 'em footballer back.
$3,000 should be good money.
OK. So how do I get them back?
~ Wear 'em trous'.
~ Trousers?
Yep. Proper cultural way.
But everyone's always
told me to wear skirts.
No, no! You got to wear 'em trous'.
That's it? Anything else?
Mm, bloomers might be good one too.
I can do that.
Well, you got 'em that $3,000 cash?
Where your BasicsCard?
~ $50.
~ (Sighs)
Come on, give me BasicsCard. Yep.
Come on, Glenys, give
me your BasicsCard.
Thank you.
~ You mob robber, true?
~ (All laugh)
You mob can laugh. You mob think
you're funny with no water?
Come on, give it.
MAN: Gets you strong!
(Music plays, phones ring)
One grand final!
KOALA: This is practical
media training.
~ We're here.
~ Koala!
JAMPAJINPA: Right, chuck
them footies around.
What do you like to drink?
FOOTBALLERS: Water!
~ Yeah! What do you like to drink?
~ Water!
LOLA: Hey, like I was telling
you mob early part,
now we got to ask a government
mob for everything,
and a lot of time, us
blackfella, we been miss out.
But I been learn it something
from that government humbug.
Sometime, we just got to bend 'em
all the rules and do it our way.
Yeah, that's what I been learn.
Think about it.
This is 8MMM FM,
Aboriginal radio in
Aboriginal country.
Our staff are extremely responsible
when it comes to alcohol.
Role models, in fact.
We at 8MMM would like to suggest
that maybe we make Founders
Day a dry event.
What's next? No happy hour?
~ Then no-one will have any human rights!
~ WOMAN: Hear, hear!
You mob like to party all night?
~ JAMPAJINPA: Get off our land!
~ MEN: Yeah!
LOLA: (Taps microphone)
Hello? This thing on?