*The film centers on a 9-year-old Ngemba girl, Gemma Daniels "Gem" Daniels, who lives in the remote New South Wales town of Brewarrina. On a fishing trip by the Barwon River* with her mother Darlene and older sister Valerie, Darlene suddenly collapses. The family hurries to fetch help from her father Jay Jay and older brother Ecka, but there is little they can do in that moment.
As the family grieves after Darlene's death, Gemma finds comfort in a quiet, enduring bond with a wild emu, her mother's Totem animal, a presence that becomes a steady source of solace amid heartbreak. The loss reshapes the family’s daily life in Brewarrina, nudging Gemma toward a path that will test her resilience and sense of belonging.
Although Gemma shows real promise as a runner who could become a junior athletics champion, she begins to skip school to spend time with the emu, even stealing food to feed it. This unusual attachment draws the attention of local police officer Stan and social worker Heidi, who start to question Jay Jay's ability to care for the family and keep Gemma safe. The tension within the household deepens as Gemma’s actions are interpreted in different ways by the adults around her, each weighing concern against care.
Gemma's older brother Ecka is also grappling with his own troubles, developing alcohol problems and getting swept up in drugs, with a violent assault landing him in hospital. This crisis sets off a chain of events that sees Jay Jay involved in a scuffle outside a local hotel and arrested for affray, underscoring the fragility of the family’s situation and the external pressures bearing down on them.
Heidi's attempt to remove Gemma from the family intensifies the stakes, and a detour along an unsealed backroad due to a highway accident leads to a close encounter with danger — a near collision with an emu that damages the car and leaves the two of them stranded on the deserted road. The night that follows becomes a turning point as Heidi begins to understand Gemma's behavior and recognizes that Gemma belongs with her family. The next morning, a determined Gemma sprints the long distance back into town to fetch help for Heidi, a moment that highlights the strength of loyalty and the ties that bind her to home.
Throughout the film, the landscape of Brewarrina and the Barwon River serves as a quiet, expansive backdrop to a deeply intimate story about grief, belonging, and the ways a young girl navigates love, loss, and community judgment. The bond between Gemma and the emu stands as a poignant symbol of connection to her mother and to the land, while the actions and reactions of the adults around her reveal the complexities of care, responsibility, and hope in a tight-knit rural town.
