Under the pretence of having a picnic, a geologist (John Meillon) takes his teenage daughter (Jenny Agutter) and 6-year-old son into the Australian outback and attempts to shoot them. When he fails, he turns the gun on himself, and the two city-bred children must contend with harsh wilderness alone. They are saved by a chance encounter with an Aboriginal boy (David Gulpilil) who helps them survive, and in the process underscores the disharmony between nature and modern life. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.