Selected Australasian documentary films

ABBA: The Movie (Lasse Hallstrom, 1978)

ABC of Love and Sex Australian Style (John D. Lamond, 1978) pseudo-doco

After Mabo (Richard Frankland)

All that is Solid (John Hughes, 1988)

Always Was Always Will Be (Martha Ansara & Robert Bropho, 1989) Swan Brewery protest

Aussie Rules (Barbara Chobocky, 1993)

Australia Live (Peter Faiman, 1988)

Back of Beyond (John Heyer, 1954)

Bali Hash (John Darling, 1989)

Bali Triptych (John Darling, 1987)

Below the Wind (John Darling, 1994)

Big Country, A (ABC, 1968-88) TV series

Bigger than Texas: The Ghosts that Never Die (David Noakes, 1992)

Bingo, Bridesmaids and Braces (Gillian Armstrong, 1988)

Black Chicks Talking (Leah Purcell) Deborah Mailman, Kathryn Hay, Rosanna Angus, Tammy Williams, Cilla Mallone. "... even if there's nothing revolutionary in it, the presents the issues through people, and with great sensitivity. The honesty is balanced with fun, but the darker edginess is what makes it compelling." Andrew Urban

Black Harvest (Bob Connolly & Robyn Anderson, 1992)

Bomb Harvest (Kim Mordaunt, 2007)

Bra Boys (Sunny Abberton, 2007)

Brother Can You Spare a Dime? (Philippe Mora, 1975)

Camera Natura (Ross Gibson, 1984)

Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (Mark Lewis, 1987)

Cannibal Tours (Dennis O'Rourke, 1988)

Castor and Pollux (Phillip Noyce, 1973) biker called Gus and hippie called Adrian [Rawlins]

Celso and Cora: A Manila Story (Gary Kildea 1983)

Change of Face, A (Franco de Chiera, 1988)

Changing the Needle (Martha Ansara, Mavis Robertson, Dasha Ross, 1982) Vietnam's unique approach to drug rehabilitation; 53 min.

Chile: hasta Cuando? (David Bradbury, 1985)

Cinesound Review: Kokoda Front Line (Damien Parer, 1942) dp and commentary Damien Parer; shared 1942 Academy Award for Short with John Ford's Battle of Midway; Parer shot the footage for the Dept of Information, which let Cinesound use it (Shirley & Adams: 166) Parer was killed at work on Peleliu, Caroline Is, 1944

Colourful Life, A (Gillian Armstrong, in post 2005) design pioneer Florence Broadhurst

Coniston Muster: Scenes from a Stockman's Life (Roger Sandall, 1972)

Coolbaroo Club, The (Roger Scholes, 1996) wr. co-prod. Steve Kinnane, prod. Penny Robbins; award-winning on post-war race relations in Australia: in Perth, WA, 1946-1960, the Coolbaroo Club was a meeting place and a community focus for the local Aboriginal community; 55 min.

Country Lads (Stanhope Andrews, 1941) NZ;

Crystal Voyager (Albert Falzon, 1973) surfing

Cunnamulla (Dennis O'Rourke, 2001)

Dangerfreaks (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1989) Grant Page; concerned with stunts

Death of the Megabeasts (Franco di Chiera, 2009)

Dhakiyarr vs The King (Tom Murray & Alan Collins, 2004) Sydney Film Festival 2004; Sundance Jan 2005

Don't Call me Girlie (Andree Wright & Stewart Young, 1985) contribution made by women to the Australian film industry; 68 min.

Exile and the Kingdom (Frank Rijavek, 1994) Roebourne WA area

Facing the Music (Bob Connolly & Robyn Anderson, 2001) Robyn Anderson's last film

Fall of the House, The (Geoff Burton, 2004) Sydney FF 2004; story about Eugene Goossens and attempted importation of pornographic material

Film for Discussion (Sydney Women's Film Group, 1974) Jeni Thornley, John Brotherton; 24 min.

Fine Body of Gentlemen, A (Geoff Burton, 2002) story of the first Aboriginal touring cricket team

First Contact (Robyn Anderson & Bob Connolly, 1982); PNG

For Love or Money (Megan McMurchy, Margot Nash, Margot Oliver, Jeni Thornley, 1983)

Forbidden Lie$ (Anna Broinowski, 2007) about conwoman Norma Khouri, Adelaide Festival 2007

Fourteen's Good, 18's Better (Gillian Armstrong, 1981)

From the Tropics to the Snows (Richard Mason & Jack Lee, 1964)

Frontline (David Bradbury, 1980) war cameraman Neil Davis and his work in Vietnam and Cambodia: he photographed the girl who had been bombed with napalm, and the VC tank crashing through the gate of the Presidential Palace in Hanoi

Genocide (Richard Oxenburgh, 1990)

Glass: Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (Scott Hicks, 2007)

Gnow or Never (Franco di Chiera, Carmelo Musca, 2009) doco; WA

Going Vertical (David Bradbury, 2010) surfing; Cannes

Good Afternoon (Phillip Noyce, 1972) Combined Universities' Art Festival Canberra 1971, made for the AUS Aquarius Foundation

Good Woman of Bangkok, The (Dennis O'Rourke, 1992) fictional; review by Greg Kerr in Murray 1995: 341; from the review by Greg Kerr, Cinema Papers, 86, January 1992: 52-53

Gulpilil: One Red Blood (Darlene Johnson, 2002)

Healing of Bali, The (John Darling, 2003) broadcast on The Cutting Edge, SBS, Tuesday 7 October 2003

Healing Sound of the Bungarun Orchestra (ABC, 1999) Message Stick program about an orchestra at a leprosarium in Derby; 27 min.

History of Australian Cinema 1896 to 1940 (Alan Anderson, Joan Long, Keith Gow, 1964, 1964, 1979) prod. Anthony Buckley; 1896-1920 The pictures that moved; 1920-1930 The passionate industry; 1930-1940 Now you're talking

I Told You I Was Ill (Cathy Henkel, 2005) premiere SAFF; on Spike Milligan

I'll Be Home for Christmas (Brian McKenzie, 1984)

Illustrated Auschwitz (Jackie Farkas, 1992)

Indonesia Calling (Joris Ivens, 1946)

Inheritance: A Fisherman's Story (Peter Hegedus); Balazs Mesaros travels to Perth to confront mining company which has created ecological disaster in Rumania

Inlanders, The (John Kingsford Smith, 1949); Aust Inland Mission; cf. Back of Beyond (1954)

Island of Lies (Gillian Coote, 1990)

Ister, The: journey up the Danube while examining Martin Heidegger

Jabe Babe: A Heightened Life (Janet Merewether, 2005) IF Award for Best 2005

Joe Leahy's Neighbours (Bob Connolly & Robyn Anderson, 1988)

Journey with Paul Cox, A (Gerrit Messiaen, Rob Visser, 1996), broadcast SBS

Joys of the Women (Franco di Chiera, 1993) WA; about the choir founded in Fremantle by Kavisha Mazzella, Le Gioie delle Donne

Just a Little Note (Jan Chapman, 1970) prod. Jan Chapman, dp Phil Noyce, ed. Phil Noyce; moratorium march and George Shevtsov's guerrilla theatre group

Killing Priscilla (Lizzie Gardiner, 1999) Stephan Elliott's career after Priscilla; 55 min.

Ladies Please (1994) on the Priscilla DVD: drag queens; c. 30 min.

Ladies Rooms (Sarah Gibson, Pat Fiske, Susan Lambert, Jan MacKay, 1977)

Land of the Little Kings (2000) broadcast SBS Sunday 28 May 2000 as part of Unfinished Business: Reconciling the Nation; Archie Roach travels Australia to share tales of survival by members of the stolen generations in this feature-length

Landmines (Dennis O'Rourke, 2005) premiere SAFF

Last Days Work (Brian McKenzie, 1987)

Learning the Ropes (Barbara Chobocky, 1993)

Lempad of Bali (John Darling, 1980)

Letters to Ali (Clara Law & Eddie Fong, 2004)

Light Years (Kathryn Millard) Australian photographer Olive Cotton; early 1990s?

Link Up Diary (David McDougall, 1987) lost generation

Living Room (David Caesar) short, made 1987 (DC made Shopping Town at film school the year before) DC mentions the work of Richard Everden and his photography of indigenous people at end 19C; ppl and how they live in various places in Sydney; c. 19 min.

Liyarn Ngarn (Martin Mhando, 2007) Pete Postlethwaite, Patrick Dodson, Bill Johnson, Archie Roach

Lousy Little Sixpence (Alec Morgan, 1983)

Mabo: Life of an Island Man (Film Australia, 1997)

Man of Straw (Alkinos Tsilimidos), 28 min. week in the life of compulsive gambler

Maria (Barbara Chobocky, 1991)

Mike and Stefani (Ron Maslyn Williams, 1952) 64 min.

Milli Milli (Wayne Barker, 1994) Aboriginal people in the Kimberley; 53 min.

Modern Times (Graeme Chase, 1992)

Molly and Mobarak (Tom Zubrycki, 2003) Mobarak is a refugee, and Molly and her mother befriend him

Morning of the Earth (Albert Falzon, 1972)

Mourning for Mangatopi: A Tiwi Bereavement Ceremony (Curtis Levy, 1975)

My Own Private Oz (Philip Brooks, 2000)

My Survival as an Aborigine (Essie Coffey, 1979)

Naked on the Inside (Kim Farrant, 2007)

Namitjira the Painter (Lee Robinson, 1946)

Nazi Supergrass (David Bradbury, 1993)

Nicaragua no Pasaran (David Bradbury, 1984)

Nice Coloured Girls (Tracey Moffatt, 1987) wr. prod. Tracey Moffatt; Women's Film Fund, Australian Film Commission; 17 min.

Night (Lawrence Johnston, FFC funding 2005)

No Milk, No Honey (1997) British group-settlers; WA

Not Fourteen Again (Gillian Armstrong, 1996)

Number One Fan: Laurie Nichols (Jolyon Hoff, 2007) 13 min.

One Australia? The Future Starts Here (Christine Sammers, 1991)

One Way Street (John Hughes, 1993)

Ordinary People (Jennifer Rutherford, 2002) prod. Martha Ansara; One Nation candidate Colene Hughes; 55 min.

Outback Strippers (Mike Piper Production Company: Piper Films) Mind's Eye, Network Ten; in production 2000; broadcast Ch10 12 June 2004;; sequel to Suburban Strippers: a group of strippers from the city has heard that Alice Springs' only stripper is about to retire and they decide to take the outback by storm

Outback Upfront: compilation of short films from the ABC TV series

Patu (Merata Mita, 1983), NZ

Pearls and Savages (Frank Hurley, 1921) about Anglican missions in Papua; with additional footage expanded to become With the Headhunters in Papua, 1923: Hurley presented both films lecturing from the stage; see Pike & Cooper 1998: 131-3

Philippines, My Philippines (Chris Nash, 1988)

Pictures that Moved, The (Alan Anderson, 1968)

Portrait: Jane Campion and The Portrait of a Lady (Peter Long & Kate Ellis, 1996) of the two-and-a-half month shoot for The Portrait of a Lady

Rainbow Bird and Monster Man (John Lewis, 2001?) won Best Editing in a Non Feature Film AFI Awards 7 November 2002; subject is pedophilia?

Rats in the Ranks (Bob Connolly & Robin Anderson, 1996)

Red Matildas (Sharon Connolly & Trevor Graham, 1985)

Re-Living off the Land (Simon Best & Paul Murphy, 2009) mockumentary

Renegades (Phillip Noyce, 1974) shot 1970-1974; "diary film" funded by Experimental Film Fund, demonstrations and the street theatre group of George Shevtsov, Noyce and Jan Chapman

Rolling Home (Paul Witzig, 1974)

Sissy (Debbie Gittins, 2001); three gay Aboriginal guys in Northbridge: ? Culbong, Anna Mae (transvestite), Ella Fitzgerald; 'We are glamorous, we are here and we are queer'; Sissy is an expression of gay black identity in Perth: CC and Ella are well known socialites and Anna Mae regularly struts her stuff on stage

Smokes and Lollies (Gillian Armstrong, 1976)

Snakes and Ladders (Mitzi Goldman & Trish FitzSimons, 1987)

Someone Else's Country (Barry Alister, 1996)

State of Shock (David Bradbury, 1989)

Steel City (Catherine Marciniak and Aviva Ziegler) prod. Stefan Moore, Denise Haslem and Gina Twyble, production company: a Film Australia National Interest Program Status, ABC; in production 2000; about the human impact of the closure of the BHP steelworks in Newcastle

Suburban Strippers (Mike Piper, c 1998), prod. Mike Piper, wr. ed. narr. Andrew Ellis, Piper Films, with ABC finance, broadcast on Channel 10

Surf Movies (Albie Thoms, 1981)

Survival (Phillip Noyce, 1982) TV; Mike Willesee, Diane Cilento, Jo Kennedy; 50 min.

Sylvania Waters (Brian Hill & Kate Woods 1992) TV series

Tackle Happy (2003) The Puppetry of the Penis guys

Takeover (David MacDougall & Judith MacDougall, 1980)

This is New Zealand (Hugh Macdonald, 1970), triptypch presentation; three screen film for Expo 70 in Japan

Thomson of Arnhem Land (John Moore); shunned by government and ostracised by white society, anthropologist David Thomson paid a high price for his progressive views on Aboriginal culture; wr. Michael Cummins, prod. Franco di Chiera, John Moore and Michael McMahon, a Film Australia National Interest Program in association with John Moore Productions, ABC; in production 2000

Touch Wood (Gillian Armstrong, 1980)

True Believers, TV, co-wr. Bob Ellis

Two Laws (Alessandro Cavadini & Carolyn Strachan, 1981)

Union Maids (J. Reichert & J. Klein, 1976)

Waiting for Harry (Kim McKenzie, 1980)

We Are All Alone My Dear (Paul Cox, date) people in a nursing home

When the Natives Get Restless (Adrian Wills & Albert Hartnett, 2007) the Gordon estate in Dubbo; 28 min.

When Mrs Hegarty Comes to Japan (Noriko Sekiguchi 1992)

Wild (Ross Gibson, 1993)

Witch Hunt (Barbara Chobocky, 1986)

Year of the Dogs (Michael Cordell, 1997) Footscray AFL team, shot on video

Yellow Fella (Ivan Sen, 2005) short on life of Tom. E. Lewis

Yumi Yet (Dennis O'Rourke, 1976)


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