Here Come the Dogs

In small-town suburban Australia, three young men from three different ethnic backgroundsone Samoan, one Macedonian, one not sureare ready to make their mark. Solomon is all charisma, authority, and charm, a failed basketball player down for the moment but surely not out. His half-brother, Jimmy, bounces along in his wake, underestimated, waiting for his chance to announce himself. Aleks, their childhood friend, loves his mates, his family, and his homeland and would do anything for them. The question is, does he know where to draw the line?

Solomon, Jimmy, and Aleks are way out on the fringe of Australia, looking for a way in. Hip hop, basketball, and graffiti give them a voice. Booze, women, and violence pass the time while they wait for their chance. Under the oppressive summer sun, their town has turned tinder-dry. All it’ll take is a spark.

As the surrounding hills roar with flames, the change storms in. But it’s not what they were waiting for. It never is.

Omar Musa is a Malaysian-Australian rapper and poet from Queanbeyan, Australia. He has opened for Gil Scott Heron and performed at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City. He attended University of California Santa Cruz. He has released three hip hop albums and two poetry books, and he received a standing ovation at TEDxSydney at the Sydney Opera House. He lives in Australia.