The Home Song Stories

Rose is a migrant mother who becomes a nightclub singer in Hong Kong in 1964 and later relocates to Melbourne with her family in search of a better life. Her relationships and decisions create tension with Norma and drive the family’s upheaval, including an affair that destabilizes the home. Her experiences reveal the vulnerability and strength of women navigating immigration, motherhood, and trauma, culminating in a tragic suicide attempt and death.

An eight-year-old boy who witnesses his mother's turmoil and the family’s disintegration. His perspective frames the early events and conveys the fragility of their situation. The trauma and behavior he observes shape his understanding of a complicated family history.

The adult Tom narrates the story, typing it on a computer and reflecting on how childhood events defined him. His memory-driven perspective shapes the film’s framing, inviting the audience to understand rather than judge his mother and family. The narration emphasizes memory as a force that constructs identity.

Bill is Rose's husband by marriage and an Australian sailor who becomes a stabilizing but distant father figure. He leaves on tour, returns to his home, and his absence intensifies domestic tensions. The family’s life under his roof is marked by upheaval and, later, the impact of his death.

Norma is Bill’s disapproving mother who moves in with Rose’s family and exerts control over the household. Her stern presence contributes to the power struggles and eventual expulsion of Rose and Joe. She embodies the rigid expectations that migrant families confront in a new country.

Joe is the son of the local Chinese restaurateur and Rose’s lover during Bill’s absence. Their relationship destabilizes Rose’s home, contributing to the family's temporary breakup. His involvement marks a crucial turning point in Rose’s life and the family’s dynamics.

May is Rose and Bill’s daughter, who forms a bond with Joe and endures the family turmoil. Her childhood experiences under her mother’s influence shape her sense of family and belonging. In the end, she builds a life with the guardian teacher after Bill's death.

Young Rose’s backstory hints at a life in Hong Kong where she faced an arranged marriage and personal loss. This early chapter informs her later decisions and the pressures she carries into her migration to Australia. The portrayal aligns with the film’s focus on trauma and resilience.