Titles curated by Damien Parer
234 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 3 4 5 next
F (continued)
Friends and Enemies documentary – 1987
The story of a machiavellian plan to destroy union power, Friends and Enemies follows the bitter fight between Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s Queensland government and the ACTU.
Frontline documentary – 1979
Combat cameraman and correspondent, Neil Davis worked at the extreme front-line, capturing memorable images of the Vietnam war, taken under fire.
Funny by George: The George Wallace Story documentary – 1999
An untrained actor with a talent for stand up comedy, George Wallace’s first job was with Happy Harry Salmon’s travelling show.
G
George Dreyfus: A Portrait documentary – 1984
Composer George Dreyfus marks this portrait with his own whimsical style, showing how lively biography can be when the subject is prepared to satirise himself.
Gillies documentary – 1987
Max Gillies, probably best know for his portrayal of Bob Hawke, feels more confident and secure when he creates a character to hide behind.
Girl in a Mirror: A Portrait of Carol Jerrems documentary – 2005
Carol Jerrems, who photographed Melbourne subcultures in the 1970s, unsentimentally documents her own decline from terminal illness polycythemia.
Give Trees a Chance: The Story of Terania Creek documentary – 1980
This recording of an anti-logging protest is one of many documentaries made in the 1980s that reflect growing concern about progress at the expense of the environment.
Glued to the Telly documentary – 1995
Forty years of television broadcasting in Australia is presented in a self-conscious, ironic style.
God’s Girls: Stories from an Australian Convent documentary – 1992
The Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy give full access to the filmmakers to explore and question those who choose a religious life.
Going Tribal documentary – 1995
It takes sophistication to live simply. Going Tribal captures the joy of life and values of a group of ferals living in the Byron Bay area.
Good Girls Do Swallow documentary – 2000
Dumb Idiotic Eating Trauma – Rachael Oakes-Ash takes a witty look at widespread dieting and its sometimes deadly consequences.
The Good Looker documentary – 1995
Joy Hester’s emotionally disturbing and challenging work mainly deals with the relationships between men and women. Her genius is now gaining wider recognition.
The Good Woman of Bangkok documentary – 1991
At the time of the film’s release there was a lot of debate about filmmaker O’Rourke’s relationship with his subject – a prostitute – and the issues that raises.
Grave of the President documentary – 1984
In 1942, ocean liner President Coolidge accidentally struck two allied mines and sank. One of the world’s biggest shipwrecks is now a popular dive destination.
H
Harold documentary – 1994
A big man with a big voice. As the first Indigenous man to sing on national radio, Harold Blair carried huge responsibilities on his shoulders.
The Healing of Bali documentary – 2003
This documentary explores the Balinese response to the terrorist bombings in Kuta on 12 October 2002.
Helen’s War: Portrait of a Dissident documentary – 2003
Filmmaker Anna Brionowski follows her aunt, anti-nuclear activist Dr Helen Caldicott, for a year to capture the feelings of frustration and urgency of a 30-year campaign.
Hephzibah documentary – 1998
Levy has painted a portrait of a woman ahead of her time – musician Hephzibah Menuhin was imperfect, passionate, talented and driven by a humanitarian instinct.
The Highest Court documentary – 1998
The filmmakers were given unprecedented access to make this lucid explanation of the High Court of Australia.
The Hillmen: A Soccer Fable documentary – 1995
With Greek and Turkish communities moving out of the area, the Clifton Hill Soccer Club must recruit from a newer wave of Asian immigrants or face extinction.
Home of the Blizzard documentary – 1998
This documentary is an excellent portrayal of the adverse conditions of Antarctica.
Hypsi: the Forest Gardener documentary – 1998
In this natural history of the smallest kangaroo, we learn that during summer, when food is abundant, the testes of the musky rat-kangaroo increase in size.
I
The Ice Capped Jungle documentary – 1993
The five climbers of Puncak Jaya were led by author Lincoln Hall. Hall was left to die on Mt Everest in 2006 but was later found – hallucinating and frost-bitten, but alive.
I’ll Be Home For Christmas documentary – 1984
The film follows the lives of a group of men who have bonded through their addiction to alcohol.
In Limbo documentary – 2002
Australian lawyer Hoi Trinh attempts to secure citizenship for 2,000 Vietnamese 'boat people’. Thirty-seven families are resettled, the rest remain in limbo.
The Isabellas: The Long March documentary – 1995
Political events in China are humanised through refugee Chen Xing Liang, with his softly spoken determination to live in a democracy.
J
Jabiluka documentary – 1997
This film offers Indigenous, scientific and economic perspectives on the issue of mining uranium at Jabiluka.
The Joys of the Women documentary – 1993
As a teenager, singer–songwriter Kavisha Mazzella rejected her Italian heritage, but now wants to keep a dying music tradition alive by recording and performing it.
Jubilee and Beyond documentary – 1977
Eighteen thousand schoolchildren greet Her Majesty the Queen in 1977, giving a sense of the relationship between Australia and the UK at this time.
K
Kemira: Diary of a Strike documentary – 1984
Tom Zubrycki made the documentary on the run, following events as they happened and creating a 'diary’ of each passing day as the story unfolded.
A Kid Called Troy documentary – 1993
This is the story of the last year of 8-year-old Troy’s life as he lives with AIDS and struggles to be brave in the face of pain and death.
Kimberley Cops documentary – 2001
Stories of rogue crocodiles, tipped cattle trucks and search-and-rescue operations for lost tourists emphasise the dangers and harsh realities of life in the outback.
L
Land Mines – A Love Story documentary – 2004
Shah planted landmines as a soldier then became the victim of a mine. His wife, Habiba, lost a leg to a mine and regrets that she can no longer wear pretty shoes.
The Last Circus? documentary – 1993
Produced in 1993, this rousing plea for the surivival of the circus offers an argument to counter the claims of animal liberationists that circus animals are cruelly treated.
The Last Husky documentary – 1993
Husky dog teams have served on the Mawson Base in the Antarctic for fifty years. The documentary records the last dogs to be used there and their journey to a new home in Minnesota in the USA.
Last Mail from Birdsville: The Story of Tom Kruse documentary – 2000
As a result of the 1954 film Back of Beyond, Tom Kruse and the historic last mail run drew considerable media attention and inspired the making of this film.
The Last Man Hanged documentary – 1993
The story of Ronald Ryan, last man hanged in Australia, features some of Australia’s best-known actors and interviews with the real-life people involved.
Last Plane Out of Berlin documentary – 1999
At ten years of age, Sidney Cotton designed an aircraft. At 18, this Queensland country boy built a car he called 'the Cotton’.
The Last True Action Hero documentary – 1995
This frank and delightful documentary follows young trainee firefighters as they experience the dangers and challenges of their chosen profession.
The Last Whale documentary – 1994
Credited as being influential in the IWC’s 1994 decision to create the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, this film is a passionate plea to save whales from extinction.
Least Said, Soonest Mended documentary – 1999
When she was 16, Val had a baby out of wedlock and was coerced to have her adopted out. After 25 years, Val and her daughter make contact.
The Life and Times of Margaret Whitlam documentary – 1993
Wife of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, Margaret Whitlam recalls the day that the Governor-General John Kerr sacked her husband on 11 November 1975.
Life on a Sheep Farm documentary – 1965
Life on a sheep farm over one year in 1965, a time when rabbits were sometimes referred to as 'public enemy number one’.
Lizzy Gardiner’s Story of the Fame Game documentary – 1997
Director and interviewer Lizzy Gardiner had her own taste of fame when she won the Best Costume Design Oscar for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Lobster Tales documentary – 1998
In creating an 'animal meets people’-style documentary from a lobster’s point of view, director Celia Tait presents an anthropomorphic view of lobsters.
Loggerheads documentary – c1990
Since European settlement, half of Australia’s forests and three-quarters of its rainforests have been cleared.
Lord of the Bush documentary – 1990
Through the complex character of McAlpine, Zubrycki reveals the issues confronting the rapidly expanding town of Broome.
Losing Layla documentary – 2001
A painfully explicit depiction of grief, for some reviewers the film was seen as too raw, albeit courageous in its exposure of the subject.
Love’s Tragedies documentary – 1998
Private investigator Charles says the signs of adultery are easy to detect – new clothes, joining a gym, extra credit card expenses.
Lowering the Tone: 45 Years of Robyn Archer documentary – 1993
Archer considered A Star is Torn a tribute to women who influenced her music: Patsy Cline, Bessie Smith, Janis Joplin and Marie Lloyd.
