Synopsis

In the quiet Murray River town of Sunray, two sisters develop competing obsessions with Ken Sherry, a smooth-voiced but self-centered radio DJ who has moved in next door. Their romantic fantasies turn into a rivalry as each sister tries to win his attention, exposing the loneliness, frustrated desires, and strange social rituals of small-town life.

Factoids & Trivia

• The fictional town of Sunray was based on Robinvale, Victoria, where the film was shot largely on location.

• The film was a debut feature and won the Camera d'Or for best first feature at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

• It also received the Best First Feature Film award at the 1996 Valladolid International Film Festival.

• The title comes from Barry White's song "Love Serenade," which appears in a soundtrack built around lush 1970s soul and pop recordings.

• The radio station and its programming are central to the film's atmosphere, turning romantic ballads, advice, and announcer patter into a kind of emotional backdrop for the isolated community.

• The National Film and Sound Archive has described the film's visual approach as lyrical and almost surreal, particularly in scenes where ordinary rural streets contrast with characters' heightened romantic fantasies.

• The film was produced by Jan Chapman Films and photographed by Mandy Walker, who later became one of Australia's most prominent cinematographers.