Flyabout

After 24-year-old writer-director Monika Petrillo decides to get her pilot's license, she later embarks with her father and a group of other flying buffs in small planes on a 30-day circumnavigation of Australia. As they make their way along the boundaries of the land Down Under, Monika ponders the Aboriginal tradition of a walkabout, a dreamlike quest in which the seeker gives up daily concerns, reconnects with the land, and rediscovers his or her spiritual nature. On the journey Monika meets some colorful characters in the bush, although local Aborigines keep their distance. Coping with mechanical problems and uncooperative weather, Monika also struggles to communicate with her proud, independent father. From the air and on the ground, Flyabout offers outstanding vistas of Australia's magnificent coasts, mountains, and national parks, with an occasional stop in a big city. By the time Monika finishes the month-long odyssey, she's learned some inspiring lessons about family and facing one's fears. Part travel documentary, part spiritual meditation, part family-relations profile, this unusual film is recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)