Australian Barbie

Movie Treatment: "Australian Barbie: Reef Rescuers"

By Nyarlu Yirrnga

Link to the Author's Portfolio

Logline:

Australian Barbie, named Isabella, is a marine biologist working to save the endangered Great Barrier Reef. When the reef faces a new and mysterious threat, she teams up with indigenous activists and local fishermen to solve the environmental crisis while navigating cultural differences and unearthing long-hidden secrets.

Outline:

Act 1:

Exterior: Great Barrier Reef - Day

Isabella, our Australian Barbie, is diving in the Great Barrier Reef, gathering samples for her latest research project. Her mission: identify the cause of the recent coral bleaching events.

Interior: Isabella's Lab - Afternoon

Isabella analyses the samples and realizes the cause is neither pollution nor global warming, but something much more mysterious. For a background on the coral bleaching phenomenon, click here.

Exterior: Local Fish Market - Late Afternoon

Isabella meets Tom, a local fisherman who has noticed strange activities around the reef. They decide to join forces.

Act 2:

Interior: Aborigine Community Center - Day

Isabella and Tom consult with Aboriginal activist Lila, who introduces them to ancient indigenous knowledge about the reef. Lila suspects that a recently rediscovered natural resource in the reef's ecosystem may be causing the issue. For further information, read this.

Exterior: Great Barrier Reef - Night

Equipped with this new insight, Isabella, Tom, and Lila conduct a night dive to collect more samples, closely evading a suspicious-looking boat in the area.

Interior: Isabella's Lab - Next Day

After another round of analysis, they discover that the new threat to the reef is an invasive species of algae that thrives on the natural resource mentioned by Lila.

Act 3:

Exterior: Town Meeting Hall - Afternoon

Isabella presents her findings to the community and proposes a solution: using a natural predator to control the invasive algae. She faces opposition from industrial interests who aim to exploit the new resource. Read more about such conflicts here.

Exterior: Great Barrier Reef - Day

In a daring mission, Isabella, Lila, and Tom plant the algae's natural predator around key areas of the reef while avoiding the industrial boats.

Interior: Isabella's Lab - One Month Later

They receive the new sample analysis, which shows that their plan is working—the reef is slowly recovering.

Act 4:

Exterior: Great Barrier Reef - Day

The team and the community gather to celebrate their success. The reef is not just a natural wonder but a symbol of what can be achieved when science, indigenous wisdom, and community come together. For another example of community-based conservation, check this out.

Conclusion:

"Australian Barbie: Reef Rescuers" offers an action-packed, environmentally-conscious storyline grounded in the rich cultural tapestry of Australia. Isabella proves that problem-solving, collaboration, and respect for indigenous knowledge can save not just the reef, but potentially the world.