All documentaries
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1980s (continued)
Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age 1985
O’Rourke presents the case that the US government used the Marshall Islands as a testing ground for atomic weapons to document the long-term effects of radiation.
The Harold Holt Mystery 1985
On 17 December 1967 Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach, Victoria. This docudrama reconstructs Holt’s last days and examines controversial theories surrounding his death.
Hellfire Jack: The John Curtin Story 1985
A portrait of John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945.
Red Matildas 1985
Told through the lives of three women, Red Matildas explores the social and political conditions in Australia during the Great Depression.
Rocking the Foundations 1985
Rocking The Foundations is more than a film about a union: it’s a film about social change and how ordinary people can make that happen.
Where Death Wears a Smile 1985
The little-known story of two Australian soldiers interned in a Nazi concentration camp in Czechoslovakia during the Second World War.
Beautiful Lies: A Film About Peter Carey 1986
This documentary explores the relationship between Australian novelist Peter Carey and his country.
Chile: Hasta Cuando? 1986
Filmed in secret, this is a significant record of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and his murderous regime.
China, the Long March 1986
There is much to learn from this work about China’s Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, who died in 1976.
Kylie Tennant 1986
Determined to experience at firsthand the lives of her characters, Tennant travelled alone in her buggy, camping with swagmen and destitute families.
Women in the Surf 1986
Documentary on the battle for women to take to the waves, from Isabel Letham in 1914 to Pam Burridge in the 1980s.
Cannibal Tours 1987
Dennis O’Rourke highlights the absurdity of the interactions between 'civilised’ tourists and 'primitives’ in a PNG village.
Cricket in Australia 1987
Some say Ian Chappell betrayed the tradition of cricket for financial gain when he joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.
Dreamtime, Machinetime 1987
There are strict rules about who can and can’t tell certain stories in indigenous culture, these distinguished artists reveal.
Friends and Enemies 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.
Gillies 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.
How the West was Lost 1987
The strike of 1 May 1946 was the first major strike by Indigenous peoples. It took a significant organisational effort to bring unified opposition against the powerful pastoral industry.
Painting the Town: A Film About Yosl Bergner 1987
Bergner was one of the first contemporary artists to depict the plight of urban Aboriginal people and parallel their dispossession with that of European Jews.
Snakes and Ladders 1987
An account of the achievements and setbacks of a ‘shifting landscape’ as Australian women attempt to gain equality in education in the 20th century.
South of the Border 1987
This documentary explores the role of music in the grass roots political protest movement in Central America and also raises ethical dilemmas.
Suzi’s Story 1987
A mother who has contracted AIDS bravely decides to make a film of the experience.
The White Monkey 1987
Father Brian Gore, a Columban missionary on Negros Island in the Philippines, was imprisoned on trumped-up charges by the Marcos Government.
The 1930s Golden Era of Australian Movies: A Tribute to Ken G Hall AO OBE 1988
Two of Ken G Hall’s basic rules were that films had to have a memorable title and a strong story climax.
Australia Daze 1988
An observational documentary shot by 29 different camera crews on the bicentennial anniversary of Australia’s European settlement on 26 January 1988.
Behind the Sun 1988
Robert Klippel, who sculpts from discarded materials, is one of the artists featured in this documentary compilation.
Betty Pounder 1988
Being successful in theatre, says dancer Betty Pounder, requires passion, and that may have to come at the expense of family.
Body Work 1988
Death is a taboo subject but not in this stylised documentary about those who 'make a living out of dead bodies’.
Clifton Pugh 1988
This landscape painter says painting an amalgam of his surroundings is more authentic than taking a 'myopic view’.
Commuting by Cable 1988
Even the most dedicated tram enthusiast will be fully satisfied by the detail in this 1988 study.
Eelemarni, The Story of Leo and Leva 1988
All the threads aren’t tied up in this short film; rather it is presented as if it was a yarn being heard while at the feet of an elder.
Joe Leahy’s Neighbours 1988
This was an excellent opportunity to make a contemporary film about the Papua New Guinea highlands and explore the society forming in the wake of Western contact.
Living Room 1988
This beautiful, unsettling experimental documentary is a meditation on Australian suburbia and notions of home.
Mimi: An Evening with the Aboriginal Dance Theatre 1988
NAISDA led to the emergence of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and produced artists such as Christine Anu and Stephen Page.
Moodeitj Yorgas 1988
Moffatt’s work, influenced by cinema and pop culture, probes misconceptions about Aboriginality and explores gender, sexuality and identity.
The Queen Goes West 1988
Queen Elizabeth II opens the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland. Filmaker Christine Olsen went on to write Rabbit-Proof Fence.
Thanks Girls and Goodbye 1988
Thanks Girls and Goodbye is not just a 'feel good’ nostalgia film. It explores how the Women’s Land Army was exploited during the Second World War.
Tuckson 1988
Examines the life and work of little-known but important artist Tony Tuckson, a 'decisive, ethical, hard-painting, hard-drinking, Craven A smoking artist’.
Astonish Me, Graeme Murphy Choreographer 1989
Dancer Graeme Murphy remembers the anxiety he felt about partnering, particularly in a pas de deux, because of his small stature.
Difficult Pleasure: A Portrait of Brett Whiteley 1989
Artist Brett Whiteley says many 'gifted people shipwreck’ ; he died from a drug overdose three years later.
Green Tea and Cherry Ripe 1989
A portrait of Japanese women who came to Australia as war brides after the Second World War, and their experiences in an alien land.
Land Bilong Islanders 1989
A significant historic record of proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court regarding the Murray Islanders’ native title claim over their traditional lands.
Strangers in Paradise 1989
On the eve of bicentennial celebrations, Strangers in Paradise looks at Australian culture through the eyes of tourists on a ‘Dreamtime’ tour.
1990s
Loggerheads c1990
Since European settlement, half of Australia’s forests and three-quarters of its rainforests have been cleared.
Lord of the Bush 1990
Through the complex character of McAlpine, Zubrycki reveals the issues confronting the rapidly expanding town of Broome.
Man Without Pigs 1990
The first Papua New Guinea man to become a professor returns to his small village to celebrate, but inadvertently creates antagonism when rituals aren’t adhered to.
People Who Still Use Milk Bottles 1990
This documentary traces the history of the dairy industry in Victoria in the 20th century, featuring Barry Dickins, John Flaus and Barry Jones.
Big People, Small People 1991
Cartoonist Michael Leunig and then opposition member John Howard have very different views on the desire for more.
Bran Nue Dae 1991
There’s nothing I would rather be than to be an Aborigine’ is probably the most famous line from the successful stage musical.
The Daylight Moon: A Portrait of the Poet Les Murray 1991
World-renowned Australian poet Les Murray reflects on his life and work.
