You will not catch any fish if you do not listen to the river, a father explains to his sons. It is 1837 and life is about to change dramatically for the Aboriginal people of the Dja Dja Wurrung tribe. Beyond the mountains they have observed the arrival of white settlers. Yapiyl, their eldest son, disappears. The father and youngest son set off in search of him. Grasping wooden spears, they scour the bush. When the younger brother succeeds in finding his older sibling, he realises that his brother has made a decision with far-reaching consequences. Yapiyl is taking a new path in the hope of finding a better life.