Australian
Screen

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Titles from the 1980s

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1988 (continued)

The Dirtwater Dynasty television program – 1988

In this 1980s epic production from the Kennedy Miller stable, Richard Eastwick, born in a London slum, dreams of establishing a family dynasty.

Edens Lost television program – 1988

A beautiful woman’s obsession with one man damages the lives of all around her.

Eelemarni, The Story of Leo and Leva documentary – 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.

Emerald City feature film – 1988

Successful screenwriter Colin Rogers moves from Melbourne to Sydney and becomes involved with commercial movie hustler Mike McCord.

Evil Angels feature film – 1988

Evil Angels is a highlight of ‘80s Australian cinema but did not perform as well locally as it deserved, perhaps because it presents the dark side of the easygoing ‘g’day mate’ nation.

Four Corners – Blue Death television program – 1988

A chilling program about Australia’s greatest industrial disaster: years after the mine closed, Wittenoom residents are dying of asbestos-related illnesses.

Grievous Bodily Harm feature film – 1988

Movie critic David Stratton described Grievous Bodily Harm as 'one of the most satisfying thrillers made in Australia’.

Incident at Raven’s Gate feature film – 1988

Strange things are happening around the remote homestead of Raven’s Gate.

Joe Leahy’s Neighbours documentary – 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 documentary – 1988

This beautiful, unsettling experimental documentary is a meditation on Australian suburbia and notions of home.

Mimi: An Evening with the Aboriginal Dance Theatre documentary – 1988

NAISDA led to the emergence of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and produced artists such as Christine Anu and Stephen Page.

Moodeitj Yorgas documentary – 1988

Moffatt’s work, influenced by cinema and pop culture, probes misconceptions about Aboriginality and explores gender, sexuality and identity.

Nature of Australia – Land of Flood and Fire television program – 1988

The animals and plants must cope with the stresses of life in a place that swings savagely between the wet season and the dust and heat of the dry season.

The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey feature film – 1988

Medieval Britons journeying through time and space find a contemporary city, where they attempt to fulfil a prophecy that will save them from the plague.

Nobby’s Nuts advertisement – 1988

This 1988 television and cinema advertisement for Nobby’s Nuts combines animation and live action with great flair.

One People Sing Freedom television program – 1988

One People Sing Freedom documents the largest gathering of Indigenous people since 1788, a protest march against the Bicentennial celebrations of 26 January 1988.

The Queen Goes West documentary – 1988

Queen Elizabeth II opens the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland. Filmaker Christine Olsen went on to write Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Shadowland short film – 1988

In Anthony Lucas’s animated student film, humanity evolves in a savage landscape.

Thanks Girls and Goodbye documentary – 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.

Touch the Sun – Captain Johnno television program – 1988

Captain Johnno is a significant Australian children’s film which won the 1988 International Emmy Award for Children and Young People’s Programming.

Touch the Sun – Devil’s Hill television program – c1988

With his gap-toothed smile and great integrity, Badge is the delightful hero of this adventure story based on the classic Australian children’s novel.

Touch the Sun – Peter & Pompey television program – 1988

This lovely film has a delightful ocker Aussie feel, and is a quirky, fantastic yarn filled with mystery, greed, loyalty, betrayal, ancient curses and Roman history.

Touch the Sun – Princess Kate television program – c1988

This is a story of insecurity, snobbery, fear, love and hope as this young girl takes herself and two families on an emotionally painful journey to find out who she really is.

Touch the Sun – The Gift television program – c1988

This film offers a glimpse into the lives of a Greek-Australian family as they struggle with cultural differences, materialism, environmental issues and family relationships.

Touch the Sun – Top Enders television program – 1988

This lovely production captures the exotic frontier feel of Darwin, as it explores human survival and the challenges and rewards of family relationships and friendship.

Tuckson documentary – 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’.

Vietnam television program – 1988

This classic mini-series tells the epic story of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War through the history of a middle class family and features an award-winning performance from a young Nicole Kidman.

1989

Astonish Me, Graeme Murphy Choreographer documentary – 1989

Dancer Graeme Murphy remembers the anxiety he felt about partnering, particularly in a pas de deux, because of his small stature.

Australia Post – Recruitment sponsored film – 1989

It’s interesting to look at the Australia Post jobs on offer in the late 1980s and compare them to employment opportunities available today.

Australia Post – Security sponsored film – 1989

While mail security may be a far greater problem today than in the past, here is evidence that mail security has always presented a substantial challenge.

Beyond 2000 – Episode 152 television program – 1989

Including a report from Japan where a robot mannequin with the body type of a typical Japanese woman might replace the European store dummy.

The Big Gig – Series 1 Episode 1 television program – 1989

There’s a rowdy beer-hall type atmosphere to this comedy-variety show, which tapped into a vibrant ‘80s live comedy scene in Melbourne.

Central Australia: The Eighth Wonder television program – 1989

Bushie explorer Ted Egan tours places of wonder in Central Australia.

Come In Spinner television program – 1989

Lisa Harrow, Kerry Armstrong and Rebecca Gibney feature in the story of three very different women in wartime.The series won a slew of AFI awards.

Dead Calm feature film – 1989

Nicole Kidman was 20 when she was cast in Dead Calm. Within a year of the film opening, she was in Hollywood – partly as a result of her performance in this film.

Difficult Pleasure: A Portrait of Brett Whiteley documentary – 1989

Artist Brett Whiteley says many 'gifted people shipwreck’ ; he died from a drug overdose three years later.

Father feature film – 1989

Elderly widower Joseph Mueller is accused of being a war criminal by Holocaust survivor Iya Zetnick.

G.P. – Toss a Coin television program – 1989

G.P. is a medical drama that looks at topical social issues.

Green Tea and Cherry Ripe documentary – 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 documentary – 1989

A significant historic record of proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court regarding the Murray Islanders’ native title claim over their traditional lands.

The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet short film – 1989

A whimsical, animated tale of music and romance, narrated by Ruth Cracknell and set amidst the Great Maitland Flood of 1955.

The Money or the Gun – Heroin television program – 1989

Denton defends comedy as a means of being serious as he tackles the topic of heroin.

Nature of Australia – A Separate Creation television program – 1989

This first episode of the most expensive wildlife program ever made in Australia boasts magnificent photography and a great script.

Nature of Australia – The Sunburnt Country television program – 1989

At the time this series was made, the program makers felt they were showing Australian flora and fauna to many Australians for the first time.

Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy short film – 1989

Tracey Moffatt continues to challenge the social construction of Aboriginality and how it is viewed nationally and internationally. Night Cries is a possible sequel to Jedda.

One Man’s Instrument short film – 1989

In this animated short film, a man finds his paradise is literally lost.

Police State television program – 1989

The script for this docudrama-style telemovie was developed using the transcripts from the Fitzgerald Inquiry into Queensland Police corruption.

Pugwall – Hollow Drums television program – 1989

The insightful scripts capture teenager angst in a comic and recognisable way; fashions might change but relationships between teenagers and parents don’t.

Round the Twist – Series One – Skeleton on the Dunny television program – 1989

This first episode gives a real taste for the eclectic range of themes and elements which combine to create the Round The Twist magic.

Round the Twist – Series One – Spaghetti Pig Out television program – 1989

This is a clever and funny episode, based on a simple ‘What if…’ premise. There is loads of silly slapstick, and a spectacular dose of yuck at the end.

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