Marking Time

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For other uses, see Marking Time (disambiguation).

Marking Time was an Australian television mini-series, consisting of 4 one-hour episodes. It first aired on 9 and 10 of November, 2003, on ABC-TV. Directed by Cherie Nolan and written by John Doyle, it was the first mainstream television/film project to address the issue of the Australian government's refugee policy, a topic it approaches by chronicling the emotional journey of one young man during his year off after graduation, in his fictional rural home-town of Brackley, Australia.

The storyline of Marking Time was inspired by real-life experiences of Afghan refugees and their hosts in the rural town of Young, New South Wales; however much of the outdoor scenes of the this mini-series were actually shot at Singleton, New South Wales, in the Hunter Valley.

[edit] Plot

An Afghan father and his daughter, Randa (Novakovic) arrive in Australia to ecape the Taliban. At school Randa is teased for her religion and wearing a hajib. A student, Hal begins to feel sorry for her and over a course falls in love with her. Although her father initially allows them to date, there is a lot of tension with their culture differences (Randa is a practising Muslim, Hal an atheist).

Soon after the September 11th attacks Randa's father's house is destroyed by a mob. Hal's father (Morrell) offers them shelter in his house. Later that night, Randa, afraid, sneaks into Hal's room seeking comfort. The two sleep together and are later found in bed by her father. Upset in what has happened, he leaves and refuses to let Hal see Randa.

Hal and Randa continue to see each other in secret, Randa admitting she 'did not regret' what she did with Hal. Eventually their reugee status is rejected and they are ordered to return. Hal and his father try valiantly to think of a way to keep them there, but come up empty handed. Finally Hal, decides that he loves Randa and offers to run away from the law with her. He tells his plan to his father who initially disaproves, but after seeing how much they love each other, allows. He also tell Randa's father, who is initially reluctant. Hal promises to take care of her and her father agrees, realising that Randa will be deported with him unless she leaves. Randa is initially reluctant to leave her father, but ultimately agrees.

They leave on the night of Randa's deportation. Stopping off in a hotel room, they make love tenderly one last time. When Hal awakes, Randa is gone. She leaves him a note explaining she can not leave her father. He returns back, but is too late as he sees Randa and her father on a bus for deportation.

Eventually he decides to go overseas to look for her. His dad buys him a plane ticket and the series ends with Hal unsure about what will happen in his search for his love.