Title of Proposal:
Farmer Swap
Logline:
none yet ...

It is dawn in Xinjiang in North – Western China, as Ming and his family leave for their adventure . They are about to leave for the train station to nearby Shajiazhang where they will catch another train to Beijing and then on to the Airport. From Beijing, they will travel to Brisbane and then to Hervey Bay in Australia – this will be the first time they have been out of China and the first time they have been on a plane.

Ming is a Chinese herdsman. He lives with his extended family in a series of yurts, thatch-rooved huts which house family members, animals and provisions. His family own some yaks, sheep and goats which Ming takes to market at different times of the year. Life has been difficult lately in the surrounding area due to years of drought which means less and less feed for his livestock. Many farmers in this area are now turning to tourism and tourist-related activities, i.e. acting as guides to take tourists to attractions and places of historical interest in the region.

Ming is quite out-going, has a great singing voice and enjoys nothing better than a sing-along with family and friends. The nearby market is where he makes contact with the outside world.

However, his concept of the outside world is about to radically change. Ten thousand kilometers away across various oceans and landmasses, another farmer / cattle breeder is also preparing to welcome him to his farm. Denis Chapman, is about to drive 300 kms to Brisbane where he will meet Ming’s family and bring them back to Hervey Bay. Denis is also very out-going, an expert horseman and cattle farmer.

For the next two weeks, Denis and his family will play host to Ming’s family and will involve them in a host of activities such as cattle mustering, horse-breaking and life on an Australian farm (please see two week activities itinerary).

Over the next two weeks both their lives will change radically as we follow their every move, conversation, activity and thought. To capture their “thoughts” both Denis and Ming’s family will be given small handycams to diarise and record their “thoughts” at the end of every day. These “thoughts” will be crucial to our understanding of their feelings in an alien environment with strangers who speak in a strange language.

After the two weeks is over, the Chinese family return to Xinjiang. It is now their turn to play host to the Australian family and show them what it is like to live a simple and nomadic existence in yurts set against a stunning backdrop of snow–capped mountain peaks and lakes.