A man (Richard Roxburgh) the Australian government blames for 1990s political woes blames his mother (Judy Davis), a communist Stalin seduced in 1951.

An Australian salesman's bored wife escapes in a fantasy world with her dream lover.

An Italian sports journalist arrives in Australia but finds no work. The only employment he can find is as a builder's labourer. At first, he cannot comprehend the culture, but eventually he finds mateship and romance.

This film takes the form of a psychiatric session, using the metaphor as a way to explore the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.