September is a multi dimensional story, on one level, its about social change, human rights, injustice and politics. The other level is the story of friendship, growing up, first love, being youthful and powerful yet seemingly powerless. It is 1968 and the main characters Ed and Paddy are a reincarnation of there fathers, where one is white and one is black, one has privilege and the other is destined to servitude. Ed is young and to spite his youthful aspirations he is already taking his place in the social structure as the privileged white man, and treats his life long friend accordingly. Paddy is black, and realizing more everyday that his life long friendship is not what it had seemed. Both boys like to box and spar in a make shift ring they build together. For Ed it is childhood fun, for Paddy it becomes an opportunity to escape the preordained life of an unpaid aboriginal laborer. There is substance to the boys friendship that in the end prevails and is symbolic of the subtle social changes of the time. What made this movie so memorable for me was the huge scope of the subject, told in the most human way.
