Inside Australia: My Brother Vinnie
Robin Oliver, reviewer
July 11, 2007


The moving and joyous story of actor Aaron Pedersen's special bond with his intellectually disabled brother.

Type
Documentary
Channel
SBS
Date
Wednesday July 11
Time
8:00 PM
Playing well-educated, middle-class city lawyer Drew Ellis learning new skills as an Aboriginal Legal Service defender in the SBS drama The Circuit, Aaron Pedersen reaches a new mark in his career as an actor. But this engrossing program shows Pedersen leading a very different private life, for he has a shadow in his brother Vinnie, who suffers from mild cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability.

"He's a handful, is Vinnie," Aaron says. "He's got two loves in his life, AFL and me."

It's been like that since the eight Pedersen children were growing up, desert rats in Housing Commission homes in Alice Springs. Aaron always knew his brother was special, but when they were both very young "Vinnie gave me duty of care". The solemn bond stuck and more than 30 years later Aaron admits he hadn't realised what he was doing. "I wish I had a book on it. I would have read it. But they don't write books on this sort of stuff."

Intensely moving and ultimately joyous, this program has Aaron introducing Vinnie as the two kick a football during a stroll in the park. It's a happy day, but there have been bleaker moments with no state or government help and no respite that would have allowed Aaron to take a break and concentrate on his career. To the rescue came "Mum Frances", Aaron's mother-in-law.

Vinnie still follows his brother everywhere, even appearing as an extra in Water Rats, in which Aaron featured as Detective Senior Constable Michael Reilly. Vinnie glows at the memory. He was asked for his autograph. "I haven't got a bloody autograph," he said.

Sarah Bond and Steven McGregor's film catches Vinnie at work in the sheltered workshop where he is making a cross to place on the grave of his beloved nana, who died in 1997. The two brothers travel to the Alice for the ceremony. An unusual and rewarding half-hour