From early childhood Frances Daingangan, a 45-year-old Yolngu woman, dreamed of being a movie star - a dream that came true when Rolf de Heer cast her in the film Ten Canoes. River of No Return documents her extraordinary story.

Frances is a Yolngu woman from the Gupapuyngu tribe in North East Arnhemland, Australia. As a young girl, she loved to emulate Marilyn Monroe – dancing, singing and dressing like her idol. But Frances was always told that her movie star aspirations were ridiculous and impossible for a Yolngu bush girl.

At the age of eight, Frances was 'promised' to a Yolngu man called Djigirr. But several years later, she was abducted by a man from another tribe. Now forty-five, with three daughters and six grandchildren, Frances has returned to live on her mother's tribal land and burial place, a sacred area called Nangalala.

Frances' life is one of daily struggle, often hunting and digging for food or borrowing money to survive.

The subsequent huge success of TEN CANOES enhanced Frances' confidence immensely. Seeing herself on the big screen, knowing she was being seen world-wide fulfilling her dream, brought Frances a new sense of self-worth and with it a world full of possibilities.

This new-found strength and courage enabled Frances to leave an abusive relationship and become the first of many abused women in her community to take out a restraining order against a violent partner. Frances discovered that following her chosen path involved challenging some of the traditional cultural and familial values of Yolngu way of life.