Set amongst the desolate salt flats of the Mallee in regional Victoria, First Contact pairs a stunning backdrop with an evocative and moving study of isolation. In the midst of a bleak landscape, it explores the lives of a father and daughter and the arrival of a mysterious black stranger. Forced together in dramatic circumstances, First Contact asks - what will happen when these lonely individuals have to engage with one another? And how will these emotions play out in an environment resistant to change? On the edge of a remote and desolate salt lake, a father and daughter eke out a frugal existence in self-imposed exile. They live in a couple of rusty old caravans and their world is grim, stifling and desperately lonely. While the father goes for supplies to the nearest town once a fortnight, the daughter’s only contact with the outside world is via the two-way radio and the School of the Air. She has learnt of her world through her father, the landscape and reading old novels; she has drawings of what she imagines the other kids to look like. The father struggles to communicate with his daughter, and feels the distance between them growing more impenetrable as she moves further into adulthood. Both have almost forgotten what it is to feel love, warmth and connection. However, everything changes when father and daughter discover the body of a mysterious black man. On the verge of death, his arrival disrupts their world and throws them into conflict, stirring up fears barely buried or disguised. First Contact not only tells a story of family but also raises many questions to do with Australia's attitudes of race, origin and immigration. Richards looks deeply at the origins of fear. His writing is subtle, restrained and considered. Ten years spent honing his style and eye with narrative music videos ensure no frame is wasted or superfluous. This film marks an important next step in this directors career towards feature film.