Stripped (2016) - full transcript
An unconventional mother's fight to keep her children.
- I was four when our doctor said
we should move to Australia
to clear up my asthma.
He referred us to the Fairbridge Society
who offered mum a job there as a teacher.
So mum, my brother, my sister and I
took off to the other side of the world.
But when we got there,
to the middle of nowhere,
they ripped up our mum's
letter of employment,
took her away from us and forced her
and other screaming mothers onto a bus.
And we were left in the blistering heat
with hundreds of other kids.
Then they put us to work.
We were now Wards of the state.
To have any chance of getting us back,
Mum needed a house and a job.
But unemployment was at an all time high,
so desperate and with no other options,
my shy mother became a stripper.
This is the story about
how she stole us back,
about how we hitchhiked
over the Nullarbor,
the longest road in the world.
About our life on the
run from the government
and how along the way, she somehow managed
to become an Australian icon.
- Hi Grandma, it's Indy
- And Sisi
- And Sunny
- We just got batteries.
- We now live in Burleigh
heads on the Gold Coast.
- We have a playroom, a dining room
and live in a grand orange mansion
and have a huge backyard.
Mum has a really good job.
She's got quite interesting work clothes
She must help lots of people.
Sometimes she dresses as a nurse
- And other times like Wonder Woman
- She's even in the newspaper sometimes.
- And I think she might be famous
cause everybody stares at
her and knows her name.
I reckon it must be
pretty rainy in England.
- Or is it snowing?
- Grandma we hitch-hicked from one side of
Australia to the other it took two weeks.
- And we saw dingoes and kangaroos!
Send us a tape back. You can send it to
the general post office
in Surfers Paradise.
- There's a man there named
Yusuf who holds our mail.
Sunny and I think he puts boot Polish
on his head to cover up his bald spot.
- Bye grandma
- Look Sunny - eighteen days
- You tell her
- No you
Guess what we're
having for lunch today?
- Double check you finished your homework
from yesterday.
They'll make you strong
- Time for school
- You don't have to take us or pick us up
It's just down the road
- Yes Indy, but it's a big road
- But we're big girls now
- Okay my big girls,
How about if Sisi walks you over?
- All right
- Yes
- Indy and Sunny
- Vegemite sandwiches
- What happened to your arm?
- Ah nothing it's just sports
- Mum miss Piggy's had babies!
- She must have been
pregnant when we found her
- Could I name those two Bert and Ernie
- Oh yes Sunny, I can't
wait to tell grandma
- Tell grandma now,
hurry
- Grandma my mouse has had seven babies
- Grandma, grandma mum's got a new job
as a meter maid.She
feeds coins to the meter
so that people shopping won't get a ticket
And all she has to wear is a gold bikini
- And a sash!
- We miss you grandma
- We love you grandma
- School
- We really like it here now
- Come on you two
- Have a good day
Love you
- Don't forget to ring
that man back about the flat
and go to the post office
to check if we have any mail.
Bye mum
Bye mum
♪ Perth to Queensland cross Australia ♪
♪ Will we make it let me tell ya ♪
- I'm gonna build us a
tree house here one day
- There are the Ryans
Fifi!
My mouse had seven babies!
- Mum look
Look away girls.
Hello, excuse me.
Excuse me
- Ah we're looking for Ms. Margaret Dupre
This map is completely confusing.
- You just go up this road
a little bit on the right up there.
- Oh, thank you
very much
- She hasn't done anything wrong, has she?
- Um, well
- Thanks, guys
- Did you take the girls?
- They're with the Ryans.
I don't wanna go to school
- Did You throw these away?
Are you embarrassed by me Sisi?
- No, but Indy and Sunny might be
- They are just shorts
- Just shorts!
They whacked me with a
cricket bat yesterday Mum
- No!
- Kept saying horrible things about you
calling you a pro. Why do people say such
mean things about you?
I try to stand up for you,
but you have to help too.
Can't you be normal?
- Sisi I can't go back to the way I was
people listen to me like this
It's like it give me super power
- Like Superman?
- Like Superman
- But even he goes back to being
Clark Kent sometimes
What happened to you? You don't trust men,
but I am a man aren't
I? Do you not like me?
- Si Si,
when we lived in England your
father
- I don't want
to know about my father! Ever!
- Margaret Dupre?
I'm Mrs. Peyton this is
Mr Cunningham from the Fairbridge Society.
We need to ask you a few questions.
You've been a hard one to track down.
We've had our eye out for you.
- What's this about?
- We've had a complaint about the
living conditions of your children.
- Yes. We live in a tent.
So what? We can afford it here.
No bills and we pay the camp grounds
across the way to use
the toilets and showers.
- How're you storing your food?
- We eat everything fresh.
Thursday nights fish and chips at
the local pub and I
cook on the gas cooker.
- You're a stripper correct?
- Yes. Sometimes, it's not illegal.
I also do modeling.
- Modeling? You mean
your topless postcards?
How does your church think about
your new profession? Do you mind?
- I'm not with the church anymore.
- Miss Dupre we cannot
have children living
in a place with no lock on the front door.
- We've got a lock.
- We're just concerned
for your safety son.
We want you in a place with walls.
- I'm much safer here than
the place you all put me in
- Hey you watch your mouth son.
Fairbridge is a noble charity,
it's held in high esteem
- Sisi leave us be for a second
- Four walls didn't protect me!
- Fairbridge are a bunch of liars,
treated them like slaves
so who do you think
you are telling me how to raise my kids?
- I don't like that tone of voice
If you're gonna start having attitude
then you better not have it
with me
- Look
- Look we almost have
enough money for a flat
and the kids are doing really well here.
What does it say in those reports
about their marks in school?
- That's not the point.
- No no no go on look.
They've excellent grades.
And what about their attendance?
- Their attendance is fine.
- They've barely missed a single day
- But you keep changing schools
- We keep changing schools because
you keep trying to take my kids away.
- Because look at you.
You're an unfit mother.
- I was a Mormon before
I came into your country!
You told me you would leave us alone.
If I got a job and a place to live.
Well I have a job and
we have a place to live
So stop following us and leave us alone,
you've no right to take away my children.
- That's not true Ms. Dupre
by Code D 1.2, in case of fire,
minors cannot dwell in a place
with no back door. All right.
There's your backdoor.
- You'll be hearing from us.
Four people in a two man tent
- Oh!
And eight mice.
Indy!
Sunny!
- The girls
- Indy!
Sunny!
- Leave them alone
Run! Run! NO!
Mum says I remind
her of you when I sing.
She says without us she's
nothing, but that's not true
She's everything! We just
came back to feed the mice.
- Hello Girls! You two are
going to come with us now.
We don't want to come with you! Mum! MUM!
- We come together today to deal
with an ugly chapter in
our nation's history.
And we come together today
to offer our nation's apology.
Sorry that as children, you were taken
from your families and
placed at institutions
where so often you were abused.
♪ Crazy thoughts and crazy days ♪
♪ Spending time in paradise ♪
♪ Crazy times and crazy dreams ♪
♪ With you ♪
♪ My love ♪
♪ Fish and chips and sea salt hair ♪
♪ Your voice ringing through the air ♪
♪ We are family we are one ♪
♪ Mother's mermaids in the sun ♪
♪ My love ♪
we should move to Australia
to clear up my asthma.
He referred us to the Fairbridge Society
who offered mum a job there as a teacher.
So mum, my brother, my sister and I
took off to the other side of the world.
But when we got there,
to the middle of nowhere,
they ripped up our mum's
letter of employment,
took her away from us and forced her
and other screaming mothers onto a bus.
And we were left in the blistering heat
with hundreds of other kids.
Then they put us to work.
We were now Wards of the state.
To have any chance of getting us back,
Mum needed a house and a job.
But unemployment was at an all time high,
so desperate and with no other options,
my shy mother became a stripper.
This is the story about
how she stole us back,
about how we hitchhiked
over the Nullarbor,
the longest road in the world.
About our life on the
run from the government
and how along the way, she somehow managed
to become an Australian icon.
- Hi Grandma, it's Indy
- And Sisi
- And Sunny
- We just got batteries.
- We now live in Burleigh
heads on the Gold Coast.
- We have a playroom, a dining room
and live in a grand orange mansion
and have a huge backyard.
Mum has a really good job.
She's got quite interesting work clothes
She must help lots of people.
Sometimes she dresses as a nurse
- And other times like Wonder Woman
- She's even in the newspaper sometimes.
- And I think she might be famous
cause everybody stares at
her and knows her name.
I reckon it must be
pretty rainy in England.
- Or is it snowing?
- Grandma we hitch-hicked from one side of
Australia to the other it took two weeks.
- And we saw dingoes and kangaroos!
Send us a tape back. You can send it to
the general post office
in Surfers Paradise.
- There's a man there named
Yusuf who holds our mail.
Sunny and I think he puts boot Polish
on his head to cover up his bald spot.
- Bye grandma
- Look Sunny - eighteen days
- You tell her
- No you
Guess what we're
having for lunch today?
- Double check you finished your homework
from yesterday.
They'll make you strong
- Time for school
- You don't have to take us or pick us up
It's just down the road
- Yes Indy, but it's a big road
- But we're big girls now
- Okay my big girls,
How about if Sisi walks you over?
- All right
- Yes
- Indy and Sunny
- Vegemite sandwiches
- What happened to your arm?
- Ah nothing it's just sports
- Mum miss Piggy's had babies!
- She must have been
pregnant when we found her
- Could I name those two Bert and Ernie
- Oh yes Sunny, I can't
wait to tell grandma
- Tell grandma now,
hurry
- Grandma my mouse has had seven babies
- Grandma, grandma mum's got a new job
as a meter maid.She
feeds coins to the meter
so that people shopping won't get a ticket
And all she has to wear is a gold bikini
- And a sash!
- We miss you grandma
- We love you grandma
- School
- We really like it here now
- Come on you two
- Have a good day
Love you
- Don't forget to ring
that man back about the flat
and go to the post office
to check if we have any mail.
Bye mum
Bye mum
♪ Perth to Queensland cross Australia ♪
♪ Will we make it let me tell ya ♪
- I'm gonna build us a
tree house here one day
- There are the Ryans
Fifi!
My mouse had seven babies!
- Mum look
Look away girls.
Hello, excuse me.
Excuse me
- Ah we're looking for Ms. Margaret Dupre
This map is completely confusing.
- You just go up this road
a little bit on the right up there.
- Oh, thank you
very much
- She hasn't done anything wrong, has she?
- Um, well
- Thanks, guys
- Did you take the girls?
- They're with the Ryans.
I don't wanna go to school
- Did You throw these away?
Are you embarrassed by me Sisi?
- No, but Indy and Sunny might be
- They are just shorts
- Just shorts!
They whacked me with a
cricket bat yesterday Mum
- No!
- Kept saying horrible things about you
calling you a pro. Why do people say such
mean things about you?
I try to stand up for you,
but you have to help too.
Can't you be normal?
- Sisi I can't go back to the way I was
people listen to me like this
It's like it give me super power
- Like Superman?
- Like Superman
- But even he goes back to being
Clark Kent sometimes
What happened to you? You don't trust men,
but I am a man aren't
I? Do you not like me?
- Si Si,
when we lived in England your
father
- I don't want
to know about my father! Ever!
- Margaret Dupre?
I'm Mrs. Peyton this is
Mr Cunningham from the Fairbridge Society.
We need to ask you a few questions.
You've been a hard one to track down.
We've had our eye out for you.
- What's this about?
- We've had a complaint about the
living conditions of your children.
- Yes. We live in a tent.
So what? We can afford it here.
No bills and we pay the camp grounds
across the way to use
the toilets and showers.
- How're you storing your food?
- We eat everything fresh.
Thursday nights fish and chips at
the local pub and I
cook on the gas cooker.
- You're a stripper correct?
- Yes. Sometimes, it's not illegal.
I also do modeling.
- Modeling? You mean
your topless postcards?
How does your church think about
your new profession? Do you mind?
- I'm not with the church anymore.
- Miss Dupre we cannot
have children living
in a place with no lock on the front door.
- We've got a lock.
- We're just concerned
for your safety son.
We want you in a place with walls.
- I'm much safer here than
the place you all put me in
- Hey you watch your mouth son.
Fairbridge is a noble charity,
it's held in high esteem
- Sisi leave us be for a second
- Four walls didn't protect me!
- Fairbridge are a bunch of liars,
treated them like slaves
so who do you think
you are telling me how to raise my kids?
- I don't like that tone of voice
If you're gonna start having attitude
then you better not have it
with me
- Look
- Look we almost have
enough money for a flat
and the kids are doing really well here.
What does it say in those reports
about their marks in school?
- That's not the point.
- No no no go on look.
They've excellent grades.
And what about their attendance?
- Their attendance is fine.
- They've barely missed a single day
- But you keep changing schools
- We keep changing schools because
you keep trying to take my kids away.
- Because look at you.
You're an unfit mother.
- I was a Mormon before
I came into your country!
You told me you would leave us alone.
If I got a job and a place to live.
Well I have a job and
we have a place to live
So stop following us and leave us alone,
you've no right to take away my children.
- That's not true Ms. Dupre
by Code D 1.2, in case of fire,
minors cannot dwell in a place
with no back door. All right.
There's your backdoor.
- You'll be hearing from us.
Four people in a two man tent
- Oh!
And eight mice.
Indy!
Sunny!
- The girls
- Indy!
Sunny!
- Leave them alone
Run! Run! NO!
Mum says I remind
her of you when I sing.
She says without us she's
nothing, but that's not true
She's everything! We just
came back to feed the mice.
- Hello Girls! You two are
going to come with us now.
We don't want to come with you! Mum! MUM!
- We come together today to deal
with an ugly chapter in
our nation's history.
And we come together today
to offer our nation's apology.
Sorry that as children, you were taken
from your families and
placed at institutions
where so often you were abused.
♪ Crazy thoughts and crazy days ♪
♪ Spending time in paradise ♪
♪ Crazy times and crazy dreams ♪
♪ With you ♪
♪ My love ♪
♪ Fish and chips and sea salt hair ♪
♪ Your voice ringing through the air ♪
♪ We are family we are one ♪
♪ Mother's mermaids in the sun ♪
♪ My love ♪